SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara softball team secured a walk-off 7-6 victory over LIU and followed it up with a hard-fought 4-3 win against Iowa State, taking their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth on Friday.
 
GAME ONE: GAUCHOS 7, SHARKS 6
In the game against LIU, UC Santa Barbara's offense was highlighted by three home runs, contributing significantly to its victory. The scoring began in the first inning with Dani Rauscher's single up the middle. Rauscher advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on Ainsley Waddell's sacrifice fly, giving UC Santa Barbara a 1-0 lead. In the second inning, Emily Carr walked and advanced on a groundout before Delaina Ma'ae singled to center field, bringing Carr home, making it 2-0.
 
The third inning saw Waddell contribute again with a solo home run to center field. Despite a run from Long Island, UC Santa Barbara maintained the lead at 3-1. LIU responded with a run in the fourth, narrowing the margin to 3-2, and in the fifth, the Sharks took the lead by scoring two runs, moving ahead 4-3. However, UC Santa Barbara retook control in the sixth inning. Tehya Banks singled and advanced to third on an error, followed by Giselle Mejia's RBI single. Ma'ae then hit a two-run homer, regaining the lead at 6-4. The Sharks tied the game with two runs in their half of the inning, making it 6-6. The decisive moment came in the seventh inning when Waddell hit her second home run of the game, a solo shot to right field, clinching the victory with a final score of 7-6.
 
GAME TWO: GAUCHOS 4, CYCLONES 3
In the game against Iowa State, the Cyclones took an early lead in the first inning after a two-run home run, giving Iowa State a 2-0 advantage after one inning. They extended their lead in the second inning with a solo home run, making the score 3-0. UC Santa Barbara responded in the fifth inning with a rally. Ainsley Waddell struck out swinging, but Tehya Banks singled, and Emily Carr walked. Bella Fuentes also walked, loading the bases. Giselle Mejia then singled up the middle, scoring Banks and Carr. Jaelyn Toledo followed with a single, scoring a pinch runner for Fuentes, tying the game at 3-3 after five innings.
 
In the sixth inning, UC Santa Barbara took the lead. Waddell was hit by a pitch and replaced by pinch runner Kaylin Garcia. Banks singled, advancing Garcia to third. Fuentes singled, loading the bases, and Mejia hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Garcia to score. This put UC Santa Barbara ahead 4-3 after six innings. The defense held strong in the seventh inning, securing a 4-3 victory over the Cyclones.
 
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will play Iowa State in a single game tomorrow at 12:45 p.m. The Gauchos and Cyclones game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available.