DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara softball team secured a 3-0 victory over UC Davis, salvaging the series on Sunday afternoon. The game was highlighted by UC Santa Barbara's pitching, which tallied a season-high nine strikeouts and did not allow a run, allowing seven hits over seven innings.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Santa Barbara secured a 3-0 victory over UC Davis, highlighted by solid pitching and timely hitting. In the fourth inning, Ella Myers put UC Santa Barbara on the board with a solo home run to deep center field. The score stood at 1-0 after four innings.
 
Waddell kept the UC Davis offense at bay through the first four innings. Waddell allowed four hits over her four innings; she did not give up any runs and struck out three.
 
In the sixth inning, Tehya Banks reached base on a throwing error and advanced to second. A sacrifice bunt by Emily Carr moved Banks to third, and Myers drove her in with a single up the middle, making it 2-0 with Myers driving in both runs.
 
Malaya Johnson relieved Waddell in the fifth inning and was equally as impressive. Johnson earned her first save of the season after pitching three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out six. She did not walk any batters and worked through the three innings in 49 pitches.
 
The seventh inning saw UC Santa Barbara extend its lead. Jazzy Santos singled and was replaced by pinch runner Kaylin Garcia, who advanced to third on a single by a Giselle Mejia single. Dani Rauscher then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Garcia to score. The run was crucial as the Gauchos left two runners stranded in the bottom of the seventh to close out the game.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP IMPLICATIONS
After going 1-2 against UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara fell one spot in the Big West standings. At 17-7, the Gauchos are currently third in the conference, sitting just one game back of second-place Hawai'i.
 
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will wrap up the regular season next weekend against Cal State Fullerton. The Gauchos and Titans will meet for a doubleheader on Friday, May 1, and conclude the series on Saturday, May 2, with a single game. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available.