CSUN Wins Tight Game Over Long Beach State, 7-6

Friday, May 1

Long Beach, CA

6:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

14-30, 9-16

Long Beach State

27-21, 15-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
CSUN	1	0	1	0	4	0	1	7	7	2
Long Beach State	0	3	0	0	3	0	0	6	8	5

Photo by: Chuck Marvel

CSUN Wins Tight Game Over Long Beach State, 7-6

5/1/2026 10:35:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. --- The CSUN softball team defeated Long Beach State, 7-6 Friday night at LBSU Softball Complex. Madison Okano had two hits and an RBI, while Vanessa Perez, Amber Rivas and Mackenzie Kila added RBIs as well. Alizae Cole earned her fourth win of the season in the process.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Perez opened the game with a double off the center field wall, before Raegan Jackson bunted her over to third. Okano brought her home on an RBI ground out, giving CSUN a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, Long Beach State got its revenge. With the bases loaded, Audree Mendoza hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to score the runner from third and tie the game up at one apiece. After a walk, Lina Apodaca reached on a throwing error by Perez, allowing two runs to score giving the Beach a 3-1 lead after two innings.

In the top of the third CSUN got one back. Kylie Kolkowski reached on a fielding error and Madie Hernandez bunted her to second. A grounder advanced Kolkowski to third, and she scored on a wild pitch making it 3-2 after two and a half.

Flash forward to the top of the fifth when CSUN tied the score before taking the lead. Kolkowski was hit by a pitch and then was sacrificed over to second. She was brought home by Perez on a single up the middle, tying the score at 3-3.

With the bases loaded, Rivas grounded to second base, but the second baseman fumbled the ball and two runners came across to score to make it 5-3. The next batter, Kila, grounded to first base and the first baseman made the fourth error of the inning for the Beach, scoring a run in the process to make it 6-3.

Unfortunately for CSUN, in the bottom of the fifth, the three-run lead was short-lived. After a walk and a single, Emily Dowden homered to deep left field to even the score at six apiece.

With the score knotted at 6-6, Okano led off the seventh inning with a single off the pitcher. After Rivas sacrificed her to second, Perseus Yanez moved Okano to third with a ground ball to second. With two outs, Kila then delivered a double that ricocheted off the wall and Okano scored, making it 7-6. CSUN just needed three more outs to close the ballgame.

Cole retired the Beach in order to close out the game for the Matadors and earn the win for the road team.

NOTES OF THE GAME

CSUN improves to 14-40 and 9-16 in Big West play.
LBSU falls to 27-21 and 15-10 in Big West play.
CSUN's postseason hopes are still alive. The Matadors need to win two games tomorrow and CSU Bakersfield needs to win two games tomorrow for CSUN to advance.
CSUN had seven hits in the game, including a pair of doubles.
The Matadors only struck out twice.
Long Beach committed five errors in the game.
Cole pitched 2.1 innings, only allowing one hit.

ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH JODIE COX
"What a comeback, what a fight. I think we did a really good job of celebrating the little things, and Alizae Cole was nails in the circle. She really is made for those moments. She's so tough. She's effectively wild and commands his own when she needs to, and plays really good defense for herself in the circle."

[On Mackenzie Kila's clutch double in the seventh] "You know, I am such a believer that big time players step up in big time moments. She was determined to come through at that moment. It was a huge momentum shift for us."

UP NEXT
CSUN plays a doubleheader against Long Beach State tomorrow at LBSU Softball Complex. The first pitch of game one is at 1:00 p.m. The second game will follow 30 minutes after game one. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.