TURLOCK, Calif. ? The UC San Diego softball team spent its opening day of the 2008 season at Mizuno's Best of the West Invitational and there the Tritons picked up two victories, one of which came against No. 6 Humboldt State.
Because of overnight rains that pushed back the tournament's start time, the first pitch between UCSD and the Davis and Elkins Senators was thrown at 1:08 p.m.
The Tritons, playing as the visiting team, could not get a runner on base through the first three innings but put together a three-run rally in the following inning. Senior second baseman Danielle Lukk picked up the first hit of the new season with a triple and in the next at-bat, starting first baseman Jenni Habib batted in her teammate to give UCSD a 1-0 lead. Senior third baseman Jenny Maze capped off the rally with a two-out home run that knocked in Habib. Maze's shot, the 26th of her career, put the Tritons up 3-0.
UCSD added another run in the fifth inning when a sacrifice fly from senior leftfielder Randelle Bundy scored pinch runner Jennifer DeFazio, who had entered for junior Megan Grace.
The Senators rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning but two insurance scores by the Tritons in the next inning put the game out of reach and give UCSD the 6-2 win.
Lauren Chastain, a junior from Laguna Niguel, Calif., started for the Tritons and threw her 12th career complete game. Chastain did not allow Davis and Elkins to collect any extra-base hits and her nine strikeouts through the seven innings were almost half of her total for last season ? 20.
UCSD's second game of the day, which got underway at 3:35 p.m., pitted the Tritons against one of their CCAA foes ? the Humboldt State Lumberjacks. The Lumberjacks, 56-8 last season, were announced in this week's poll as the No. 6 ranked team in Division II and entered the game holding an 11-3 all-time record against UCSD.
The Tritons, acting as the home team, broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning. Junior centerfielder Allison May, after going 2-for-3 at the plate against Davis and Elkins, led off the inning with a triple. An RBI single quickly followed off the bat of Katrin Gabriel, a freshman rightfielder earning her first collegiate start.
UCSD added another run in the fourth inning when a double by sophomore catcher Nicole Saari allowed Lukk to cross the plate.
The Lumberjacks rallied right back in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at two runs apiece.
Maze, leading off the bottom half of the sixth inning, slammed her second home run of the day. It was the 27th of her career, extending her all-time lead in that category. The Tritons followed with two more runs in that inning, one unearned and the other off of another RBI single from Gabriel.
Senior Melissa Ward, UCSD's staff ace, allowed the tying run to come to the plate in the final inning but still closed the door on the 5-2 Triton victory. Ward allowed just one earned run and six hits for her 48th career win.
The Tritons continue tournament action tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. against Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-1 overall) and then play host Cal State Stanislaus (0-1) at 2:30 p.m.
