LA JOLLA (April 15, 2016) — Two weeks remain in the regular season for the Coyotes and coach Jim Maier's squad is playing its best softball of the year.
 
Sophomore Kaylee Gemmell came through with a clutch run-scoring double to right center and junior LHP Cassandra Williams held off the host UC San Diego Tritons in a 3-2 victory in the opening game of their CCAA doubleheader Friday afternoon.
 
The victory was CSUSB's season-best eighth straight, before UCSD took the second, 8-3. The Coyotes (27-22. 18-16 CCAA) and the Tritons (30-18, 20-14) close the weekend series, beginning at 12 p.m. Saturday..
 
Game 1: Coyotes 3, UCSD 2: Freshman RHP Amanda Ramirez put forth a gutsy effort in her five innings and earned the victory to improve to 7-5 on the campaign. She scattered six hits, but after giving up two runs in the first inning, the Santa Clara native frustrated the Tritons all game long. In fact, Ramirez and Williams thwarted any type of UCSD comeback as it was just 3 for 18 with runners in scoring position.
 
After UCSD grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning, CSUSB pecked away and tied the game with two runs in the second. Taylor Ancona singled up the middle with one out, and came around to score on Jessica Brown's triple to right center. Ramirez then helped herself with a bunt to the pitcher that allowed Brown to score.
 
The game remained tied at 2-2 until the sixth when Amanda Herrera singled with two outs. After a walk to Caelan Smith, Gemmell came through on the run-scoring double for a 3-2 Coyotes' lead.
 
Ramirez threw to one batter in the sixth, before Maier summoned Williams out of the bullpen. With a runner on second, she got a strikeout and a fly out, but then walked pinch-hitter Emily Sklencar and Darian Van Der Maaten singled to load the bases.
 
But Williams then tied her school record for strikeouts in season by whiffing Kendall Baker to end the threat with her 198th K.
 
In the seventh, UCSD got the tying run to third base, but Williams got a strikeout, a fly out, and a game-ending strikeout for her third save of the season.
 
The Coyotes had seven hits.
 
Game 2: UCSD 8, Coyotes 3: CSUSB trailed 4-0 through three innings and had its eight-game winning streak.

Morgan Ratliff produced an RBI-double in the fifth that capped a two-run inning for the Coyotes.

Williams earned the start. She struck out three, walked two and allowed four runs, but just one was earned.