LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The UC San Diego softball team earned a doubleheader split against California Collegiate Athletic Association opponent Cal State Stanislaus, defeating the No. 3 ranked team by a 2-1 score in game one before falling in the nightcap by a 10-6 margin. With the results, UCSD improves to 15-13 overall, 10-4 in CCAA, while Cal State Stanislaus stands at 18-4 overall, 9-3 in conference action.
Game one was a classic pitcher's duel as both starters threw complete game efforts. Triton pitcher Melissa Ward had a no-hitter going through three innings and tossed a shut-out through five.
The UCSD offense supported Ward's pitching display in a two-run fourth inning as Allison May knocked in a Brittni Carino run and Dallas Hernandez followed up with a sacrifice RBI, scoring Jenny Maze.
The Warriors finally got on the board in the 6th inning as Meghan Franksen scored from 1st following a Megan Law single, but Ward finished the 6th with a fly-out and picked up two strike-outs in the 7th to hold on for the one-run win.
Jenni Habib had a team high two hits for UCSD, while Law accounted for two of the three Stanislaus hits in the game. Ward's three-hitter improved her record to 11-4 overall, while Warriors starter Omaira Estremera fell to 5-4.
Game two saw Stanislaus score first, with their two hits and one run in the first inning knocking starter Lauren Chastain from the game. Nicole Fullerton retired the Warriors in order in the second, but was charged with six runs in the third as UCSD fell behind by seven.
The Tritons would respond with their first run in the bottom of the third as Danielle Lukk took home on a double steal and then score five runs in the fifth inning to climb within two, but a home-run to left center by Jennifer Arnold in the 7th sealed the Stanislaus victory.
Jenny Maze led the Triton offense with two runs batted in, while Brittni Carino and Nicole Saari each accounted for two hits and one run, and Lukk chipped in two runs and one. Nikki DeLeon picked up the win for the Warriors, her fourth of the season, while Chastain took the loss, moving her record to 4-6.
Both teams return to the field tomorrow, beginning another doubleheader at 11am. The double dip will be the final time that the two squads meet during the 2007 regular season.
