TURLOCK, Calif. ? The UC San Diego softball team split its two games on day one of the Togo's Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock, Calif. on Friday. The Tritons began the tournament with a 5-1 victory over Hawaii Pacific before falling to No. 3 Humboldt State by an 8-0 score in five innings.
With the split the Tritons saw their record go to 16-17 on the season.
In game one UCSD fell behind by a 1-0 score after the first inning before tying the score at 1-1 on a RBI groundout to second base by freshman Jenni Habib in the third frame. The Tritons jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the sixth after tallying four runs on three hits, two of which came on a Jenny Maze triple that plated Habib and Dallas Hernandez.
HPU managed only one hit over their final two innings at bat as Melissa Ward picked up her 10th win of the season. The sophomore tossed seven full innings in which she allowed only one run on five hits while walking none and striking out five.
Game two saw UCSD lose to No. 3 Humboldt State for the second time this season, falling by an 8-0 score in five innings. Nicole Fullerton fell to 5-5 on the year for UCSD after allowing eight runs, seven of which were earned, on 10 hits in her 4.1 innings of work.
The Tritons managed only six hits in the second game, two of which came off the bat of first baseman Jenni Habib. Jenny Spencer, Desiree Franciscus, Nikki Palmer and Niki Anderson accounted for the other four Triton hits.
UCSD returns to action on day two of the tournament with three games on Saturday, playing Western Oregon, Chaminade and Western Washington. The Tritons' opponents on Sunday will be determined after pool play is complete on Saturday evening.
