LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego softball team dropped two close games on Saturday at Triton Softball Field to No. 13 Humboldt State. The Tritons opened the day with a narrow 3-2 loss before falling 4-1 in the series finale.
HSU swept the four-game set against UCSD after taking both games of Friday's doubleheader by 4-1 and 4-3 scores. The Tritons are now 22-20 overall, with a 12-16 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) mark. The Lumberjacks, winners of 17 straight, improve to 36-10 on the season and 22-6 in conference play. They remain in first place in the CCAA standings.
Game One
The Tritons saw their first lead of the series in Saturday's opener. After getting just one runner aboard in the first two innings on a walk, UCSD broke through in the third frame.
Taylor Abeyta led off the inning with a deep shot to left center. With her speed, Abeyta was able to convert her hit into a triple. Then with two outs, the Tritons used back-to-back doubles to take a 2-0 lead. Emma Schneider's RBI double to left center brought home Abeyta, and designated player Bianca Devoto drove in Schneider in the next at bat, doubling down the left field line.
With a 2-0 lead, left-handed pitcher Alexis Edwards continued her stellar performance in the circle. The junior started the game by retiring the first eight batters faced in order. HSU shortstop Cyndi Chavez broke up the no-hitter in the top of the third with a hard hit grounder that narrowly missed the glove of shortstop McKenna Clewett.
The Jacks produced their first run of the game in the fourth when Darian Harris led off the inning with a solo home run. Edwards battled back with help from her defense.
The lefty got the next batter to ground out to third. Then with Dani Randall on first from a walk, Hannah Williams smoked a line drive toward the gap on the right side. But with a heroic effort, second baseman Kendall Baker dove to her right and snagged the line drive for the second out of the inning, keeping Randall at first. Edwards then finished the inning by fanning her second batter of the game.
Edwards gave up just one hit in the fifth before finding trouble in the sixth. With one out, the Jacks used a single and double to put runners in scoring position. Hannah Duarte then came in to relieve Edwards, but HSU hit tback-to-back singles to pull ahead 3-2.
The Tritons had a good chance to tie the game in the sixth. Lauren Sanders reached with one out after an error by Chavez and Clewett got aboard on a hit-by-pitch. However Jacks' starter Madison Williams escaped the inning. Williams then pitched a perfect seventh to hold onto the lead and give HSU the win.
Game Two
The Jacks wasted no time getting on the board in the series finale. HSU used a double steal to put Hanna Holland and Harris in scoring position. Then Tiffany Hollingsworth came through with a sacrifice fly to put HSU up 1-0 in the first. But Duarte, who got the start in game two, stayed strong and struck out Randall to end the inning.
Duarte and the Triton defense were impressive in the next four frames. Williams led off the second inning with a walk, but Duarte got Julie Pena to foul out to right field before Baker started 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. The Tritons recorded their second double play of the game in the fourth inning.
After holding the Jacks to just one run in the first five innings, HSU put up an insurance run in the sixth. Williams led off the inning with a solo home run, but Duarte got out of the inning, stranding three runners on base in the process. The Jacks then added two more runs in the final inning on a single from Pena and a double by Carly Perkins.
In the bottom of the frame, Ashley Chestnut, Kristin George and Baker hit three straight singles to load the bases for Schneider. The sophomore hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Rachel Phillips, who was running for Chestnut. However, the Triton comeback ended there as they dropped the final game, 4-1.
UCSD will head to Hayward next weekend to play a four-game series against Cal State East Bay. The Tritons will play doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and 11 a.m., respectively.
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