LA JOLLA, Calif. - For the fans in attendance, it was worth the wait. After starting four hours behind schedule because of field conditions, the softball teams from UC San Diego and Cal State East Bay gave the fans plenty of entertainment. Ten runs were scored between the teams across the two games, as pitching duels ensued in both contests.
The Tritons took game one, 3-0, while the Pioneers held on for a 4-3 victory in the second game.
"We played well for the majority of the weekend," Tritons' head coach Patti Gerckens said. "We went errorless through the first three games but our defense held us back again in the second game today. We will be challenged more, physically and mentally, next week at Sonoma State so we have to be prepared for that."
UCSD's Camille Gaito and CSUEB's Lauren Zweigle went toe-to-toe in Saturday's first game, which had a 3 p.m. start. Gaito got the winning result, throwing a complete game while scattering eight hits.
The Tritons' offense got on the board in the fourth inning, with a rally initiated by a one-out triple driven off the rightfield fence by junior All-American Kris Lesovsky. Senior co-captain Nicole Saari promptly shot a single past the infield to plate Lesovsky and give the Tritons a 1-0 lead.
An inning later, UCSD manufactured two scores after junior Lyndsay Gaylord led off with a gap double. Freshman Dyanna Imoto, earning her first career start as a Triton, dribbled a bunt single in front of the catcher that ended up bringing across Gaylord on the throw to first. Lesovsky picked up a two-out RBI hit to extend UCSD's advantage to 3-0.
Gaito allowed three baserunners in the final two innings but held on for the win, improving her record to 5-2.
Game two's matchup featured UCSD's Christine Zankich toeing the rubber against CSUEB's Catherine Schorn.
The Pioneers broke through for a score in the second inning and another in the third frame. The first run came about in part because of a Triton error and the second score was produced when Emily Montanez doubled to centerfield, bringing in Sarah Davini.
After UCSD tallied a run in the fifth inning when Jennifer De Fazio scored on Mandi Eliades reaching on a fielder's choice, CSUEB stretched its lead to 4-1 by scoring two in the sixth inning.
Facing a three-run deficit heading into their final turn at the plate, the Tritons offense started an immediate rally. UCSD loaded the bases with no outs after De Fazio reached on a bunt single, Rhiannon Ousley drew a walk and Katrin Gabriel advanced to first on a fielder's choice. Consecutive groundouts from Eliades and Lesovsky plated one run each, bringing the score to 4-3. That would be the final result though as Schorn induced a lineout from Saari to conclude the game.
The Tritons will begin an eight-game road trip next Friday when they travel to play Sonoma State. UCSD returns home March 9 to host Dixie State College in a non-conference doubleheader.
