LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The UC Santa Barbara Softball team (3-1) swept Day Two at the New Mexico State Invitational. The Gaucho bats stayed hot, tallying 25 total hits on the day. Ainsley Waddell was a spark for the offense, hitting three home runs to help the Gauchos to a 2-0 day.
 
GAME ONE: GAUCHOS 10, RAMS 2
The game began with UC Santa Barbara making a strong defensive stand in the first inning, allowing no hits and no runs from the Rams. In the bottom of the second inning, UC Santa Barbara took the lead with Fuentes hitting a solo home run to left field, making the score 1-0.
 
In the third inning, the Rams managed to score two unearned runs, capturing a brief lead. UC Santa Barbara responded in the fourth inning with Ainsley Waddell hitting a homer to left field, bringing the score to 2-2. Later in the inning, a single by Tehya Banks drove in another run, pushing the score to 3-2 in favor of UC Santa Barbara.
 
The fifth inning was a turning point for UC Santa Barbara, as Waddell hit a three-run homer, further extending the lead. Fuentes added a triple that brought in two more runs, and Terrazas scored on a wild pitch, bringing the score to 9-2.
 
In the sixth inning, UC Santa Barbara added another run when Delania Ma'ae singled and advanced on an error, driving in Waddell. This solidified a commanding 10-2 lead, which remained as the Rams' attempts to score were consistently thwarted, concluding the game with a UC Santa Barbara victory.
 
GAME TWO: GAUCHOS 8, AGGIES 7
In the second inning, UC Santa Barbara took an early lead by scoring two runs. Alexa Sams singled and was brought home by Bella Fuentes, who doubled and advanced on a throwing error. Fuentes then scored on a single by Emily Carr, putting UC Santa Barbara up 2-0. Both teams remained scoreless in the third and fifth innings, with strong defensive plays preventing any additional runs.
 
In the sixth inning, UC Santa Barbara added two more runs to their tally. Mendoza singled and advanced on an error, setting the stage for Waddell's two-run homer to left field, which provided a crucial boost to the scoreline. This brought the score to 4-3 in favor of UC Santa Barbara.
 
The Gauchos extended their lead in the seventh inning with a three-run effort. Daryn Siegel doubled, and Kaylin Garcia, who pinch ran for Siegel, scored along with Banks on a single by Jazzy Santos. Giselle Mejia then added another run with a sacrifice fly, increasing their lead to 7-3. The Gauchos unfortunately gave up four runs in the bottom of the seventh, allowing the Aggies to tie the game and push the contest to extras.
 
In the eighth inning, UC Santa Barbara added one final insurance run. Sams started on second due to extra inning rules and scored on Carr's double to right center. This run secured an 8-7 victory for UC Santa Barbara as they held NMSU scoreless in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
 
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will take a short trip down to El Paso, Texas as they take on the UTEP Miners in a doubleheader tomorrow. First pitch between the Gauchos and Miners will be at 9 a.m. Pacific Time tomorrow, Feb. 9.