BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? The UC San Diego softball team dropped both games of its doubleheader with No. 7 Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday afternoon, losing game one by a slim 5-4 score before getting mercy ruled in game two by an 11-1 margin.
With the two losses the Tritons fall to 15-14 overall and 6-6 in CCAA play while the Roadrunners maintain their lead in the conference, improving to 13-1 in league action and 28-5 overall.
UCSD had the ?Runners on the ropes in game one, leading by a 4-0 score heading into the bottom half of the final frame, but CSUB scored five runs on six hits to notch the come-from-behind victory.
After tossing a five-hit shutout through the first six innings, sophomore Melissa Ward ended up with the loss and fell to 9-6 on the season after giving up the five runs in the seventh. Amber Mills picked up her only hit of the game for the Roadrunners when she belted a game-winning double that plated Bethany Snow who connected on a two-run double in the at-bat prior to Mills'.
Jenny Spencer and Brittni Carino each went 2-for-4 in the game while Niki Anderson went 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI, both of which came on a two-run home run in the top half of the seventh inning.
Christie Hill improved to 13-4 on the season for CSUB after tossing the complete game in which she allowed four runs on six hits while striking out two.
In the second half of the twin bill, the Roadrunners put the game out of reach early on; scoring 11 runs on six hits in the bottom half of the first inning. The Tritons committed three errors in the first frame and never recovered.
UCSD's only run of the game came in the third inning as Desiree Franciscus singled home Spencer who belted a one-out double before advancing to third on a single by Carino. Spencer finished the game 3-for-3, accounting for half of the Tritons' hits in game two.
Freshman Laruen Chastain took the loss and fell to 1-4 on the year for the Tritons after allowing seven runs, six of which were earned, on four hits in only 1/3 of an inning to begin the game. Melissa Woolridge improved to 7-1 for CSUB after tossing the complete game six hitter in which she allowed only one run while striking out four.
UCSD head coach Patti Gerckens and her squad returns to action on Monday, taking on No. 8 Cal State Dominguez Hills in a doubleheader slated to begin at 12 p.m. on the CSUDH campus in Carson, Calif.
