FULLERTON, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara Softball team's advancement in the Big West Championship came to a halt as No. 2 seed Hawai'i defeated No. 3 seed Gauchos. After an extra-inning battle against UC San Diego to advance in the tournament, the Gauchos once again had numerous offensive opportunities but could not come up with the runs needed to break through.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rainbow Warriors struck early with single runs in the first and second innings, leading up to a complete game shutout 2-0 victory. Hawai'i totaled eight hits while keeping the Gauchos off the board despite nine hits.Â
Dani Rauscher led the Gaucho offense, finishing 3-for-4 at the plate. Emily Carr and Giselle Mejia both collected two hits to consistently put pressure on Hawai'i throughout the afternoon. The Gauchos put runners on base in five innings, but were unable to capitalize in key situations.
The Gauchos had the go-ahead run at the plate in the sixth, yet Hawai'i continued to come up with the outs needed to complete the shutout. Sophia Clark allowed only two earned runs over 5 innings and struck out two for the Gauchos. Malaya Johnson recorded the final outs in relief.
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will compete in the elimination bracket tomorrow at 4 P.M. against No. 5 seed Long Beach State. Should the Gauchos win, they will advance to take on the loser of Cal State Fullerton vs. Hawai'i. The games will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available.
