TURLOCK, Calif. ? The No. 8 UC San Diego softball team came up with a seven-run inning in Friday's final frame to earn a comeback victory and a doubleheader split on the road against Cal State Stanislaus.
After Jessica Gaumnitz held the Tritons scoreless in the first game and led the Warriors to a 4-0 win, the Tritons collected 15 hits in the second game as UCSD's Lauren Chastain picked up her ninth victory of the season.
Senior Melissa Ward started the first game for the Tritons and uncharacteristically lacked control. Ward walked four straight batters in the first inning, giving the Warriors their first run. CSUS scored two more runs in the bottom of the third and one in the sixth to give themselves a 4-0 lead over UCSD. Triton reliever Christine Zankich threw four innings, allowing just one earned run but walking seven batters.
UCSD's three hits came off the bats of Danielle Lukk, Jenny Maze and Amanda Eliades. The 4-0 loss dropped Ward's record to 8-6 while Gaumnitz improved to 6-4.
The Tritons jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second game after a double from Lukk scored freshman Katrin Gabriel in the first inning. The two teams each scored a run in the third inning with UCSD freshman Sarah Woofter crossing the plate when junior Jenni Habib put down a nice bunt.
The Warriors pulled ahead in the bottom of the sixth inning though when CSUS managed to scratch together three runs off Chastain, two of which were unearned.
Down 4-2 and facing a doubleheader sweep, the Triton attack awoke and put together an impressive seven-run rally in the seventh inning. Six batters came to the plate and three runs scored before the inning's first out was recorded as Habib picked up an RBI single that was quickly followed by a Lukk double that knocked in two runners. Lukk finished game two going 3-for-4 with three runs batted in. Six Triton hitters had multi-hit performances.
Eight of UCSD's 15 hits in the game came in the big inning and the Tritons walked away with the 9-4 victory.
UCSD ended the day with a 20-8 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Assocation. CSUS now sits at 10-14 and 7-7 in league play. The Tritons and Warriors will play another doubleheader Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
After this CCAA series, UCSD gets a week off during exam time and then returns home for a two-game set with Point Loma on March 25.
