Softball Drops Two One Run Games To Finish Opening Weekend

Sunday, February 8

Long Beach, Calif.

10 a.m.

Long Beach State University

3-1

Oregon State

3-2

Oregon St.

Long Beach State

2/8/2026 4:28:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

In both games, Long Beach State scored in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t quite grab the wins.

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State had two similar types of games on Sunday. In both games, LBSU took early leads against both Oregon State and Utah, fell behind, then rallied but came up one run short in each.

A solo home run from Tristian Thompson of Oregon State (3-2) gave the Beavers a quick lead in the opening game, but Long Beach State (3-2) quickly bounced back with a strong bottom of the first inning. Lina Apodaca singled and Avery Weisbrook doubled as the Beach quickly tied the game. With Weisbrook on, a single from Kali Su'e scored Weisbrook to take the lead. Su'e then stole second and scored on an infield single from Malayna Terrones as the Beach grabbed a 3-1 lead.

Another solo home run from the Beavers made the score 3-2, and then Oregon State took advantage of Beach miscues in the third. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases with no outs, and a groundout scored the first run. An error scored another run while keeping two runners on, and one would score on a double from Paige Bambarger. Another RBI groundout made the score 6-3, and then the inning finished 7-3 after an error from Nina Sepulveda allowed another run to come home.

An Avery Weisbrook homer cut the lead back to three, but Oregon State added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth, as two leadoff singles were pushed over and then scored on a sac fly and a wild pitch.

Down 9-4, Long Beach State started to work their way back. In the sixth, Terrones started the inning with a single and then scored on a double by Gonzalez. Then in the seventh, Weisbrook doubled for her third extra-base hit of the game to start the inning. With two on, the Beach scored the first run with a fielder's choice, and then a single put two on with two outs. A single from Elissa Guerrero scored two more to cut the Oregon State lead to 9-8, but the magic ran out with a final out.

Long Beach State again took an early lead against Utah (4-1). Apodaca and Weisbrook led off with back-to-back singles, and then a third single scored Apodaca. An RBI groundout then brought in Weisbrook as the Beach took a 2-0 lead.

Isabella Alonso had a strong start for the Beach against the Utes, going four innings while allowing just one run on an RBI groundout in the third. When the senior exited, however, the Utes took advantage. Jailynn Banda entered in the fifth and allowed a single before a hit batter, and then a double from Mia Gomez scored both runners as Utah took a 3-2 lead.

Banda settled in and finished two further innings with no additional damage, sending the game into the seventh. Gomez delivered again for the Utes, hitting a second RBI double to give Utah what would turn out to be a key insurance run.

Terrones, who had a monster first weekend, singled again and scored on a single from Guerrero, but the Beach couldn't muster one more and the game came to a close with a 4-3 Utah victory.

Long Beach State closes the opening weekend of the season with a 3-2 overall record, and will now travel to Mexico to again participate in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. Action in that tournament will begin on Thursday, February 12.