Cold Temps, Hot Bats: Humboldt Heats Up to Sweep No. 15 San Marcos on Friday
Drew Gwerder
LOLETA, Calif. – Cal Poly Humboldt made a statement on Friday, sweeping No. 15 Cal State San Marcos in a thrilling doubleheader at Bear River Complex. The Jacks opened the day with an explosive 11-3 victory, fueled by a six-run fifth inning and a grand slam from Shelby Shanks. In game two, Humboldt showed resilience, erasing an early four-run deficit to secure a gritty 7-6 comeback win. The sweep lifts the Jacks to 21-14 overall and 10-10 in CCAA play, marking a crucial momentum boost against a nationally ranked opponent. Humboldt now looks to carry its hot streak into Saturday's series finale.
"I'm proud of our team today," said head coach Megan Corriea. "We fought every inning and competed from start to finish. It felt good to see the offense have confidence in the batters box and see our pitchers do well against a very competitive team. We needed a day like today and look forward to tomorrow."
Game 1 - Cal Poly Humboldt 11, No. 15 Cal State San Marcos 3 (6 Innings)
Jacks' Offense Sizzles in Cold, Rainy Opener Against No. 15 Cal State San Marcos
Despite a rain delay and wet conditions, Cal Poly Humboldt's bats were red hot in an impressive 11-3 victory over No. 15 Cal State San Marcos in Game One of Friday's doubleheader at the Bear River Complex. The Jacks' offensive explosion, highlighted by a six-run fifth inning, helped them secure a statement win over one of the nation's top-ranked teams.
Humboldt (20-14, 9-10 CCAA) wasted no time, striking early with three runs in the first inning. Shelby Shanks delivered an RBI single to put the Jacks on the board, followed by a run-scoring single from Vanessa Saltos and an RBI groundout from Hailey Meisenbach to give the home team a quick 3-0 lead.
The Jacks added another run in the third when Hailee Moore singled up the middle, driving in Julia Rivera for a 4-0 advantage. San Marcos (24-8, 10-7 CCAA) responded with a pair of runs in the fourth and another in the fifth, cutting Humboldt's lead to 4-3.
However, any hopes of a Cougar comeback were dashed in the bottom of the fifth when the Jacks erupted for six runs. Alyssa Ramirez doubled in a run, and an RBI hit-by-pitch from Alyssa Smokey extended the lead to 6-3. Then, Shanks crushed a grand slam to right center, breaking the game open and pushing the Jacks ahead 10-3. Katlyn Gifford added an RBI double in the sixth to cap off the scoring at 11-3.
Gaige Garcia (12-3) earned the win, allowing three earned runs on six hits over four innings while striking out four. Riley Shopp came on in relief and shut down the Cougars over the final two frames, allowing just one hit and no runs.
Humboldt's offense pounded out nine hits, led by Shanks, who went 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Ramirez, Rivera, and Gifford each added key extra-base hits to fuel the offensive outburst.
Game 2 - Cal Poly Humboldt 7, No. 15 Cal State San Marcos 6
Jacks Complete Friday Sweep with Gritty Comeback Against No. 15 Cal State San Marcos
Cal Poly Humboldt secured a thrilling come-from-behind victory in game two of Friday's doubleheader, defeating No. 15 Cal State San Marcos 7-6 at Bear River Complex. The victory capped off a Friday sweep for the Jacks, who improved to 21-14 overall and 10-10 in CCAA play.
The Cougars (24-9, 10-8 CCAA) came out swinging, plating four runs in the top of the first, highlighted by a three-run home run from Paige Donnelly. However, the Jacks responded immediately as Alyssa Smokey launched a two-run shot to left field to cut the deficit in half.
Humboldt pulled even in the third inning, capitalizing on a fielding error by San Marcos to bring home two unearned runs. The Cougars reclaimed the lead in the fifth with an RBI single, but the Jacks refused to back down. In the bottom half of the inning, Vanessa Saltos delivered a clutch RBI single to tie the game, and Katlyn Gifford followed with a two-run double to give Humboldt a 7-5 advantage.
The Cougars managed to push across a run in the sixth, but the Humboldt bullpen held firm. Riley Shopp (3-2) earned the win in relief, while Gaige Garcia slammed the door in the seventh to notch his first save of the season. Rayna Ponce also provided a solid five innings in relief, only allowing one run.
Offensively, the Jacks racked up 11 hits, with Shelby Shanks and Alyssa Ramirez each recording multi-hit performances.
With the series continuing on Saturday, Humboldt looks to build on its momentum as they aim for a statement weekend against a ranked opponent.
Up Next
The Jacks will continue CCAA play on Saturday against No. 15 Cal State San Marcos from Bear River Sports Complex in Loleta. The doubleheader is slated to begin at 10 a.m. The United States Coast Guard will also be conducting a flyover a few minutes prior to game one.
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt softball, please visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app, and follow us on all social media platforms.
