FRESNO, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Softball team (8-3) finished the Fresno State Kickoff Classic strong, sweeping their doubleheader on Sunday against LMU and Utah. Both games were close, as the Gauchos first defeated LMU 4-3 thanks in part to four perfect relief innings from Sam Stoll to hold the one-run lead. Later, in extras against Utah for the second time on the weekend, the Gauchos used a four-run eighth inning to catapult them to a 7-5 victory.

FROM HEAD COACH JO EVANS
"We started out strong on day one against Utah," said Evans. "Our ballclub played with poise and confidence, especially in extra innings. On day two we weren't as sharp. As a pitching staff we struggled to command the strike zone and gave up too many free passes. I'm proud of the way our team bounced back on today. The pitching staff had a good day. Ainsley Waddell set the tone early against LMU and Sam Stoll had her best outing as a Gaucho in relief and securing the win. In game two Grace (Luderer) and Malaya (Johnson), gave us strong innings and kept us in the game long enough to score 4 runs in the 8th. We are continuing to improve and we have been able to give every player opportunities to get on the field."

GAME ONE: GAUCHOS 4, LIONS 3
Looking to avenge yesterday's 5-1 loss to LMU, the Gauchos put some early runs on the board. In the bottom of the first, after a Delaina Ma'ae walk extended the inning, Alexa Sams drilled a two-out RBI single up the middle. Emily Carr then walked to lead off the second, and Jazzy Santos drove her home on another two-out RBI single, giving Santa Barbara a 2-0 lead.
 
In the top half of the third, the Lions responded. Stringing four hits together, they plated three runs to flip the score in LMU's favor, 3-2.
 
The Gauchos deficit did not last long, though. Ainsley Waddell, the reigning Big West Field Player of the Week, led off the bottom of the third with a game-tying solo homer. Carr's one-out double scored Ma'ae as the go-ahead run, allowing UC Santa Barbara to take the lead right back—and keep it.
 
Head coach Jo Evans trusted Sam Stoll to shut the door from the fourth inning on, which she did. The sophomore righty did not allow a baserunner over the final four LMU innings, inducing an even six groundouts and six flyouts in a perfect relief appearance. The Gauchos got all the scoring they needed in the first three innings on the way to the 4-3 win.
 
GAME TWO: GAUCHOS 7, UTES 5 (8 INNINGS)
After beating the Utes 6-5 in eight innings on Friday, the Gauchos looked to make it two for two. Using a similar formula as the earlier win over LMU, Santa Barbara's bats gave them an early lead. Santos singled to lead off the game, and she came around to score on a Waddell double. Grace Luderer pitched a clean bottom of the first, and Tehya Banks' second-inning RBI double plated Carr to make it 2-0 Gauchos.
 
The Utes tied it with two unearned runs in the bottom half of the second, but Erin Mendoza threw out what would have been the third run at home on a single to center, ending the inning before further damage.
 
With two singles leading off the fourth, the Utes manufactured a run to take a 3-2 lead. Again like the LMU game, the lead did not last for long. In the next half-inning, Santa Barbara had a walk, single, sac bunt, and RBI single to immediately re-tie the game at three apiece.
 
Malaya Johnson entered from the bullpen with one out in the bottom of the fifth and earned a huge strikeout to end the inning with two runners on, keeping the game tied. She got two more strikeouts in the sixth and pitched a scoreless seventh to send the game to extra innings.
 
After Utes' relief pitcher Shelbee Jones struck out the side in the seventh, the Gauchos got to her in the eighth. Starting with a runner on second, Waddell hit an RBI single up the middle to give Santa Barbara the lead. Bella Fuentes would soon score her on an RBI single, and more insurance came via Daryn Siegel's bases-loaded walk and a Santos RBI single, both with two outs.
 
Now with a 7-3 lead, the Gauchos were three outs away from victory. With the free runner on second, Utah went walk, single, single to put the winning run at the plate, still with nobody out. After an out, a walk scored another run to make it 7-5 with the bases remaining loaded. Johnson beared down and escaped the jam, getting the final two outs on lineouts to send the Gauchos home with another win.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos now look ahead to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic next weekend at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Palm Springs. Playing five games against five different opponents, UC Santa Barbara begins against BYU and Oregon State on Friday at 5:30 and 8 p.m., respectively. All the Gauchos' games on the weekend can be streamed via FloCollege.