Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
7-3
Eastern Kentucky
4-6
MVP Performance From Nina Sepulveda Leads Long Beach State To Run Rule Win
2/14/2026 10:06:00 AM | Softball
Sepulveda had a grand slam and six RBI as Long Beach State closed out Eastern Kentucky in five innings to finish their time in Mexico with the best record at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
Isabella Alonso and Long Beach State (7-3) worked around a pair of errors but still kept a clean top of the first inning. Into the second Eastern Kentucky (4-6) starting pitcher Bayle Hunnicutt had struck out four and was cruising, but Malayna Terrones worked a walk to break the spell.
Two more walks followed, and Sepulveda came through with the bases loaded with a grand slam to left, her first collegiate home run and the first grand slam of the season for Long Beach State to take a 4-0 lead.
After a quick top half, Long Beach State went back to work in the third. A walk to Avery Weisbrook was followed by a double from Iniguez to score one, and an error put runners on the corners for Malayna Terrones, who singled home a second run. Another error loaded the bases again in front of Sepulveda, who delivered again with a two-run single to make the score 8-0.
Long Beach State added what would be an important insurance run in the bottom of the fourth on a double from Audree Mendoza, as Eastern Kentucky scored a run in the fifth but just one as Jailynn Banda finished off the game in the circle for the Beach.
Alonso improved to 3-0, allowing just one hit in the game while Sepulveda's 6 RBI were one off the school record for a single game. The freshman finished the weekend hitting .385 with 11 RBI to be recognized as the MVP. Weisbrook and Alonso were also selected for the All-Tournament Team at the Puerto Vallarta College Classic alongside Sepulveda.
Long Beach State will compete once again at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. in their next tournament. That tournament will begin for LBSU with a game against BYU on Friday, February 20.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Alonso, Isabella (3-0)
L: Hunnicutt, Bayle (2-3)
Batting:
RBI: Drafton, Kennedy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathis, Makayla 1
SB: Haynes, Jaelin 1
Batting:
2B: Iniguez, Priscilla 1 ; Mendoza, Audree 1
HR: Sepulveda, Nina 1
RBI: Terrones, Malayna 1 ; Sepulveda, Nina 6 ; Iniguez, Priscilla 1 ; Mendoza, Audree 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Terrones, Malayna 2 ; Weisbrook, Avery 2 ; Sepulveda, Nina 1 ; Estrada, Erica 1 ; Iniguez, Priscilla 1 ; Mendoza, Audree 1 ; Gonzalez, Miranda 1
SB: Weisbrook, Avery 1 ; Estrada, Erica 1
