LA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 21 UC San Diego won the season-opening California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series, 3-1, after earning a Saturday sweep over Chico State at Triton Softball Field.
Scores were 4-0 and 10-4, both of the seven inning variety. UCSD improves to 8-2 overall and 3-1 in the CCAA with the pair of victories, while Chico State falls to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in league play.
Alexis Edwards continued her hot start to the year in the circle and proved to be a difference maker in the opener before the offense collected 11 hits in the second game to power the Tritons to a sweep.
Game one proved to be a pitcher's dual, as Edwards delivered four no-hit innings to start the game. Chico State's Alex Molina was just as impressive, matching her pitch-for-pitch until the bottom of the sixth.
A leadoff triple by Callie Grant started a Triton rally that produced four runs, highlighted by back-to-back RBI triples from McKenna Clewett and Taylor Sepulveda to give UCSD the lead for good.
Edwards, who was looking for her second consecutive complete game, ran into some trouble in the final frame after allowing a pair of base runners. Hannah Duarte entered in relief with the tying run on-deck and earned the save in game one by recording the final two outs of the game to preserve the 4-0 win.
Edwards finished with 6.1 innings and four hits allowed, with one strikeout and a pair of walks. She now sits at 4-0 on the year.
In the final game of the series, UCSD used a six-run third inning to win 10-4.
The Tritons allowed four Wildcat runs to start the game, a pair each in the first two frames, to fall behind 4-0 early. UCSD responded, however, as Emily McQuaid led off the third with a single to begin the rally. Grant and Amani Proctor followed with bunt singles as the Wildcat pitcher threw the ball away to bring home McQuaid to put UCSD on the scoreboard. Sepulveda, Katie Saunders and Mya Romero followed with RBI singles to make the score 6-4.
The Tritons tacked on a run in the fourth, another in the fifth and two in the sixth to make the score 10-4. Chandler Geary highlighted the sixth with a leadoff double for her first collegiate hit.
Grant finished the game with two hits and two runs, while McQuaid also recorded a pair of hits and two runs in the win. Bianca Devoto, Caitlin Brown, Alissa Gutierrez, Sepulveda, Saunders and Romero all finished with one RBI apiece.
Jennifer Manuel, who came in relief after the first inning, was credited with the win after throwing a full six frames with three hits allowed and three strikeouts. She now sits at 2-2 on the year.
Chico State was led by two hits and a pair of RBI from Amanda Cordeiro in the loss.
As part of the 18-game homestand to start the year, the Tritons continue CCAA play next weekend against Cal State East Bay. UCSD hosts the Pioneers at Triton Softball Field on Friday, Feb. 14 in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. before finishing out the series on Saturday, Feb. 15 in another doubleheader with the first-pitch start time of 11 a.m.
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