TURLOCK, Calif. - The No. 16 UC San Diego softball team scored four runs in its final three at-bats to overcome a three-run deficit and take down Montana State-Billings, 4-3, in eight innings on Sunday afternoon in the Silver Bracket Championship at the 2011 Mizuno Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State Stanislaus.
The Tritons put together a 6-1 record over the three-day tournament, taking down some of the top ranked teams in the West Region while improving to 26-7 overall on the year. UCSD opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over defending NCAA Division II national champion No. 22 Hawaii Pacific, and, with the win on Sunday, avenged the team's 5-2 loss to MSUB on Friday afternoon.
Jennifer De Fazio followed her game-winning run in the Tritons' 2-1 victory against Dixie State earlier Sunday with a 3-for-3 performance in the championship, driving-in the game-winner with a single up the middle in the top of the eighth.
Down 3-0, Esther Strom singled and Jennifer Manuel walked to open the sixth inning against MSUB, eventually reaching second and third, respectively, on a sacrifice bunt by Caitlin Brown. Sarah Woofter laid down a squeeze bunt on the next play to score the pinch-runner, Katrin Gabriel, from third to make it 3-1.
After taking over for starter Tess Granath, Camille Gaito worked the final 3.2 innings of the second game of the day, allowing just a single hit while striking out four. She retired MSUB in order in the bottom of the sixth, sending the Tritons into the top of the seventh down by two.
De Fazio and UCSD center fielder Kris Lesovsky reached to open the top of the seventh, forcing Montana State-Billings to change its pitcher. The two seniors reached second and third on a sac bunt from Taylor Sepulveda, placing two Tritons in scoring position with one out. However, Strom grounded out to the shortstop on the next play, sending Manuel to the plate as UCSD's final out.
Manuel, who was credited with both RBI in UCSD's first game against Dixie State, smacked a single up the middle to score Lesovsky and De Fazio, tying the game at 3-3 and forcing it into extra innings.
In the Tritons' next at-bat, Woofter was granted second base and eventually reached third on a sac bunt from Dyanna Imoto. Nicole Spangler lined-out to put two-down against UCSD with Woofter hanging on third base. De Fazio connected with another clutch hit with two out, sending her fifth hit of the afternoon up the middle to score Woofter.
Gaito breezed the rest of the way, striking out two batters in the final frame to earn her fifth win in five appearances at the Tournament of Champions. She also earned the victory in the win against Dixie State while improving her record to 18-1 and lowering her ERA to 0.46.
In the opening game of the day, it was Manuel who provided the heroics, driving in De Fazio with a single in the bottom of the fifth for the game-winning run in the 2-1 win. She also had an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Lesovsky to make it 1-0.
Gaito worked seven innings while giving up four hits and her only earned run of the tournament against Dixie State. She earned Top Pitcher honors with a 0.25 ERA, 5-0 record, three complete games, two shutouts, 27 2/3 innings pitched, 21 strikeouts and one earned run over five appearances at the T.O.C.
De Fazio earned Top Hitter honors after batting .579 (11-for-19) with five runs, three doubles, six RBI and five stolen bases. Gaito, De Fazio and Manuel were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
UCSD will continue California Collegiate Athletic Association play next week against CSUS in Turlock, April 8-9. The Tritons' final home series of the season is the following weekend, April 15-16, against Sonoma State at Triton Softball Field.
