Cuesta Softball hosted #15 Antelope Valley for a pair of games in San Luis Obispo but dropped both ends of the doubleheader in a pair of one-run games, 2-1 and 11-10.  The opener was a pitching duel as Cuesta's Shelbi Griffith held the Marauders' vaunted offense to a single base-hit.  Antelope Valley was still able to turn a leadoff walk and an error into a run in the first inning, however Cuesta answered in the 4th with a run of their own.  Freshman Outfielder Cierra Cloud opened the frame with a double and stole third.  Two batters later Addison Finegan singled her home to tie the game.  In their next at bat, the Marauders regained the lead.  The visitors took capitalized on a pair of errors and a sacrifice fly, 2-1.  Cuesta stranded four runners over the last three innings, including runners in scoring position in the 6th and 7th.  The nightcap was very different the low scoring affair that opened the twinbill.  After putting up just three runs in the opener, the two teams combined for 21 runs, while also posting a similar result- a one-run victory for the Marauders.  Cuesta jumped with four runs in the first inning to take the momentum and held a 6-3 lead at the halfway point.  Antelope Valley finally got their offense going in the 5th, thanks to three straight walks to open the frame.  The free passes double and a pair of singles, as Antelope Valley took back the lead, 8-6.  Cuesta fought back with a run in their half of the inning and both teams scored thrice in the final frame as the Marauders pulled off their second comeback of the day, 11-10.  The setbacks dropped Cuesta to 5-6 on the season, but the Cougars appear to be back in form after enduring an, almost, three-week sabbatical due to weather.  Cuesta has played six games over the past nine days and is set to dive into their 2025 Western State Conference (WSC) schedule next week.  

Cuesta hosts Moorpark next Tuesday (2:30) for the 2025 WSC Opener, before heading to Fresno City for a doubleheader (12/2 PM) against the 12th-ranked Rams.