SAN MARCOS, Calif. – In the middle their spring break trip to California, the Pace University softball team earned a doubleheader split at fifth-ranked Cal State San Marcos on Tuesday afternoon.

GAME TWO – Pace 7, CSUSM 4
Fueled by a great first inning, the Setters picked up one of their best wins in recent memory in the day's finale. Pace strung together leads of 4-0 and 6-1 before finishing with a three-run victory over the Cougars.

Sophomore Brianna Shea (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) provided the biggest highlight on offense with a two-run home run in the first inning. The California native's long ball, which scored freshman Raelle Gorman (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley), put the Setters up 4-0.

Senior Gwen Pederson's (Sylmar, Calif./Granada Hills Charter) sacrifice fly in the first inning served as Pace's first run of the game. Freshman Kaylee Matsuda (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Iolani School) scored on the play after opening the game with a single.

Pederson doubled in the fourth as well before scoring on a Cougar error. Shea then hammered another double to give the Blue and Gold a 6-2 edge.

The Setters' final run came in the seventh inning when Matsuda reached on an error and then scored on another error.  

On the pitching side of things, junior Anna Acevedo (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall Academy) earned the marquee win. The Brooklyn native went the distance, allowing just four runs against the fifth-ranked team in the country.

GAME ONE – CSUSM 3, Pace 0
The Setters mustered just two singles in the opener while sophomore Gisselle Garcia (Lemon Grove, Calif./Mater Dei Catholic) pitched well in a losing effort. Garcia allowed just three runs with five strikeouts in a complete-game, six-inning effort.

Offensively, junior Alexandra Tejeda (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) and Pederson registered the hits for Pace while Matsuda tallied a walk.

UP NEXT
The Setters will play a doubleheader at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. on Thursday night.