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Box Score 2 SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – UCSB (15-23, 2-3) went 1-1 after a pair of close contests in its doubleheader with Cal Poly (18-21, 1-4) on Friday.
While the Mustangs saw Courtney Tyler hit a grand slam in game one, Arianna Palomares provided the game-winning home run for UCSB in the second game.
Alex Pingree (7-6) started both games in the circle, as she blanked the Mustangs through the first six innings in game two. Working as a relief pitchr, Ashley Ludlow earned a save and did not allow a hit in her appearances.
The Gauchos will take on Cal Poly in the series rubber match tomorrow at noon. The game will feature a live video stream along with audio commentary.
GAME ONE
Mustang right fielder Courtney Tyler's grand slam made the difference in game one, as UCSB's seventh inning rally fell short in the 5-3 tilt.
Alex Pingree was given the start and went five innings in finishing with seven hits, four earned runs and a strikeout. Aside from the fourth inning that featured the four-run shot, the Mustangs only reached scoring position once in Pingree's four other innings.
Emily Brucelas and Kristen Clark co-led the team with two hits each, while Jacqueline Hinojosa paced the Gauchos with two RBI.
After two scoreless innings open the game, UCSB was first to reach the scoreboard with a two-out single from Hinojosa. Brucelas led off with a hit batsman and later moved into scoring position followed by a groundout to third. Hinojosa then registered the scoring play with a single hit down the middle to send Brucelas home.
Cal Poly had a quick response, though, with Tyler's grand slam that was preceded by three consecutive singles. Despite giving up the big shot, Pingree remained in the circle and got UCSB out of the inning with a pair of fly outs.
Following the Mustang's one-run effort in the sixth, the Gauchos tried to string together a last minute rally in the seventh. DeJanee Moore led off with a walk, while Brucelas gave UCSB a pair of runners in scoring position with a double roped down the left field line. Clark then brought one runner home with a single through the left side, leaving runners on the corners for Hinojosa. Though the sophomore grounded out to second, Brucelas was still able to reach home and put UCSB within two at 5-3.
However, Cal Poly pitcher Sierra Hyland put a stop to the rally in completing her complete game performance with a lineout to first.
GAME TWO
In shaking off the loss, UCSB staved off Cal Poly's seventh inning rally to secure the 4-3 and split the doubleheader. Alex Pingree kept the Mustangs scoreless through the first six innings, while Arianna Palomares provided what proved to be the game-winning home run in the top of the seventh.
Pingree picked up her seventh win of the season through her six innings of work when she allowed three earned runs off three hits with three strikeouts. Ashley Ludlow came in for her second save of the season, as she recorded a punch out and only saw one batter reach base.
Samantha Stark and Shelby Wisdom both paced the Gauchos with two hits each, as Wisdom hit her 34th career double in the second, tying Tiffany Wright ('09) for sixth-most in program history.
The Gauchos got their offense going early in the second with Wisdom's lead off two-base knock to right center. MeShalon Moore and Stark later loaded the bases with a single and a walk, respectively. This set the stage for what ended up being three consecutive scoring at bats for UCSB. First, Emily Brucelas reached on a fielder's choice, but an error from Sierra Hyland - now playing third - allowed Wisdom to score and kept the bases juiced. Then, DeJanee Moore singled to right center and Stacy Cavazos reached on an error from right fielder Courtney Tyler to bring two more Gauchos across home plate.
In leading 3-0, UCSB cruised through the following four innings. Though the offense was held scoreless, Pingree was masterful in the circle in seeing at the most four batters per inning during that stretch.
Entering the seventh inning, Palomares had only gone 1-for-7 on the day with a single. However, the conference's doubles leader bounced back in leading off the seventh by crushing a homer to left field, putting UCSB ahead 4-0.
At the time, the solo shot seemed to simply be the exclamation point on a Gaucho shutout, but it would end up being the difference maker following Cal Poly's late-game rally. The Mustangs led off with a home run of their own Sierra Hyland to get on the board. From there, Cal Poly added another run off Ashley Tornio's double to left center.
That hit cued a pitching change for UCSB, as Ashley Ludlow came in to relieve Pingree. Though she started off with a wild pitch and a walk to put runners on the corners, Ludlow earned the save in recording a strike out and forcing two fielder's choices, while only allowing no runs.
