LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The UC San Diego softball team dropped both games of a Friday doubleheader, losing to No. 3 Humboldt State by scores of 1-0 and 7-5. With the losses the Tritons fall to 23-21 overall and 14-10 in CCAA play while the league-leading Lumberjacks improve to 39-4 overall and 17-1 in conference action.
Game one was a pitching duel as both teams managed only three hits in the contest. Two of HSU's three hits came in the second inning as Ashley Oltjenbruns had a two-out single up the middle before scoring on a Nancy Harbeson triple down the right field line for the only run of the game.
Both pitchers tossed all seven innings as UCSD's Melissa Ward took the loss and fell to 17-8 on the season while the Lumberjacks' Lizzy Prescott improved to 22-1 with the win. Prescott's record is by far the league's best while her 0.54 ERA was over a half a run lower than anyone else in the CCAA.
In game two, HSU got the scoring started with two runs on three hits with one UCSD error in the inning. Carolyn Cameron had an RBI single for the game's first run while Megan Sutherland scored the second run when Caitlin Klug's grounder to the pitcher was misplayed by Ward.
The Tritons got both runs back in the bottom of the third as back-to-back singles with one out by Danielle Lukk and Brittni Carino set the table for Dallas Hernandez who singled to right center to score Lukk. On the play, Hernandez broke for second as the throw hit the cut-off and beat the throw into second, allowing Carino to head home on the throw and tie the score at two apiece.
The ?Jacks too back the lead with four runs on three hits in the top half of the fifth inning. Sutherland had an RBI double while Cameron followed that up with an RBI double of her own. Natalie Galletly rounded out the scoring for HSU with a single up the middle that scored two for the 6-2 lead.
Lauren Chastain entered the game for UCSD in the top half of the sixth inning and gave up one run on no hits. Two walks, two wild pitches and a fielding error led to the run that put Humboldt State up by a 7-2 margin.
UCSD cut into that 5-run deficit with three runs on four hits in the bottom half of the sixth. Nikkie Palmer had an RBI single while Allison May picked up a RBI when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The Tritons last run of the inning came on a throwing error by third baseman Francesca West as she came home on a grounder with the bases loaded, but her throw pulled catcher Marissa Slattery off the base, allowing Nicole Saari to score on the play.
Neither team pushed across any runs in the seventh as the Lumberjacks closed out the swep with the 7-5 victory. Lizzy Prescott picked up the win and improved to 23-1, tossing 2 2/3 innings of relief despite allowing three runs on five hits. Tracy Motzny started and finished the game, allowing two runs on four hits in her 4 1/3 innings of work. She threw the first 2 1/3 innings before giving way to Prescott.
Ward threw the first five innings and allowed five earned runs on 11 hits and fell to 17-9 on the year with the loss. Lauren Chastain allowed only one run, which was earned, despite walking three in her two innings of relief.
UCSD and Humboldt State will both return to action tomorrow, playing another doubleheader on the La Jolla campus. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m.
