SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara softball team will look for the sweep against UC San Diego tomorrow after winning the first two games of the series on Saturday afternoon. The Gauchos tallied a total of 22 hits over the two games, including multiple home runs, while showcasing error-free fielding throughout.
GAME ONE: GAUCHOS 9, TRITONS 2
In the first game, UC Santa Barbara jumped to an early lead with a decisive 9-2 victory. In the first inning,
Emily Carr's single down the third-base line brought in two runs, setting the tone for the game. After one inning, the score stood at 2-0. However, UC San Diego responded in the second inning with back-to-back solo home runs by Cherry and Wasserman, tying the game at 2-2. The Gauchos regained the lead thanks to a throwing error that allowed
Jaelyn Toledo to score, ending the second inning 3-2 in favor of UCSB.
The Gauchos continued to build their lead in the third inning as
Delaina Ma'ae reached base on an error, allowing
Jazzy Santos and Carr to score, closing the inning at 5-2. A two-run homer from Ma'ae in the fifth inning further extended the lead, making it 7-2. The sixth inning saw Carr double to drive in Santos, followed by a single from
Bella Fuentes that brought
Kaylin Garcia home, extending the Gaucho lead to 9-2. The Gauchos polished off the top half of the seventh to earn the victory.
GAME TWO: GAUCHOS 8, TRITONS 4
In the second game, the Gauchos faced a dramatic comeback challenge. The first inning saw both teams held scoreless despite some hits. However, UCSD took an early lead in the second inning, with Garcia's single up the middle driving in two runs, followed by Cherry's RBI single, putting the Tritons ahead 3-0.
UC Santa Barbara found its rhythm in the fifth inning, where
Delaina Ma'ae doubled to right field, and
Jaelyn Toledo's single set the stage for
Dani Rauscher's RBI single.
Tehya Banks and
Giselle Mejia contributed with RBI singles, and a dropped fly allowed another run, resulting in a five-run inning and a lead of 5-3 after five innings.
The Gauchos extended their advantage in the sixth inning with a two-run homer by Ma'ae. An error allowed Rauscher to score, bringing the tally to three runs in the inning, leading to an 8-4 advantage. UC San Diego could not recover in the final inning and the Gauchos took game two 8-4.
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego will play one final time tomorrow, March 8 at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available.
