IRVINE, Calif. – Jessup softball (2-3) displayed late-inning heroics to secure a walk-off victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills (3-2) in their final meeting of the CUI Kickoff Classic, 6-5.
In a back-and-forth battle at the Great Park on Sunday morning, Jessup concluded their trip to Irvine for their opening weekend. The Warriors struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Aaliyah Tinoco cleared the bases with a two-run double to left-center, 2-0.
While the Toros responded with three runs in the third to take a temporary lead, Jessup answered immediately as Neva Adams sparked a rally with a triple and eventually scored on a Maliyah Lawson groundout to knot the game at 3-3. The score remained deadlocked until the sixth inning when Maddy Ybarra launched a deep drive to left field for an inside-the-park home run to put the Warriors back on top, 4-3.
The drama intensified in the final frame as Cal State Dominguez Hills rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to reclaim a 5-4 lead. Refusing to go quietly, Jessup mounted one final charge in the bottom half of the inning. Adams ignited the rally with a bunt single, followed by base hits from Rebekah Beasley and Lawson to load the bases. With two outs and the game on the line, Ybarra stepped to the plate and delivered her third hit of the day, lacing a single through the right side to score the winning runs.
Head Coach Brie Campbell praised her team's grit and weekend performances, "I am so glad the ladies were able to end the opening weekend with a hard-fought win. We battled through each game keeping it close with each opponent so to work together to get the walk-off win today was icing on the cake."
She continued, "The pitchers worked hard all weekend and the defense behind them showed great support. Offensively we found ourselves again to close out the weekend with high-IQ base running to solidify the win." I am pleased with the hard work the ladies showed to start the weekend and I'm excited to learn and grow each week as we progress through the season."
From her consistent and incredible performances throughout the weekend, Ybarra earned herself a spot on the CUI Kickoff Classic All-Tournament Team. The outfielder had a stellar opening weekend lifting her team to two wins throughout the five meetings. In their tournament finale, Ybarra rounded the bases for her first home run of the 2026 season, scored twice and hit a walk-off against CSU Dominguez Hills. She finished the tournament batting .438 with seven hits, five runs scored, four RBI, a triple and an inside-the-park home run.
The victory moved Jessup to 2-3 on the season, highlighted by standout performances from Ybarra, who finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and Adams, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Korrie Almond earned the win in relief, helping the Warriors secure the victory as the team now heads back up north. Jessup remains on the road for their next double-header meeting at Chico State on February, 6. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
