AZUSA, Calif. - Trailing by four runs to start the top of the seventh, the sixth-seeded UC San Diego softball team made it interesting by scoring three in the inning. The Tritons ultimately came up one run short of tying the score against second-seeded and 21st-ranked Central Washington and fell by a final score of 6-5 in the second elimination game in the NCAA West 2 Regional, Saturday at Cougar Softball Field.
The Tritons concluded the first elimination game against Dixie State, holding the Trailblazers scoreless in the final three frames to win by a final score of 2-1 after play was halted in the middle of the fifth inning due to lightning and rain on Friday.
UCSD concludes the 2016 campaign with an overall record of 37-21, a 12-win improvement from 2015. The Wildcats improve to 40-15 and advance to the NCAA West 2 Regional title game.
UC San Diego 2, Dixie State 1 (resumption)
UCSD came in with a 2-1 lead and kept DSU off the boards in the final three frames of the resumption to avoid elimination for one more game.
The Tritons walked two Trailblazers in the bottom of the sixth, but senior lefty Lexi Edwards forced a ground out, strike out and pop out to escape damage. Edwards retired three Trailblazers in order in the bottom of the seventh to increase her single-season school record mark in saves to eight. Senior right-handed pitcher Hannah Duarte (6-5) earned the win in three innings pitched.
Central Washington 6, UC San Diego 5
UCSD almost came back from four runs down, but ultimately fell one shy of tying the game, falling to CWU by a score of 6-5.
With one out in the top of the seventh, sophomore first baseman Rachel Phillips singled to get on. Freshman third baseman Maddy Lewis singled and sophomore second baseman Kendall Baker reached on an error as the Tritons packed the bases. Senior outfielder Taylor Abeyta then hit an RBI single to the outfield to score Phillips. Sophomore outfielder Kelsi Maday came through with a hit up the middle to plate Lewis and Baker as UCSD cut the margin to one, 6-5.
Abeyta was then picked off at third base on a failed suicide squeeze attempt and sophomore catcher Lauren Sanders popped up as the Tritons saw their season come to a close.
UCSD started slow, giving up three runs in the bottom of the first as CWU's Brielle Copodonna hit a three-run home run to the outfield. The Trailblazers added one more in the second as they drew a bases loaded walk from junior lefty Milana Casillas.
The Tritons scored two in the third inning to make it a two-run game. Baker singled and Maday was hit by a pitch as UCSD got two runners on. With two outs, Sanders laced a two-run hit to the outfield to bring in Baker and Maday.
CWU grabbed a four-run lead in the bottom of the fifth. Austin Wilkerson hit a solo home run and Andrea Hamada hit an RBI single in the inning.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Lauren Brown (12-7) started the game, gave up four runs and took the loss. Baker went 2-for-4 with two runs. Sanders and Maday each had two RBIs. Maday also had two runs, which brings her 2016 total to 54, tying the single-season school record set by Kris Lesovsky in 2012.
The win went to CWU's Kiana Wood (20-4). Wilkerson went 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs for the Trailblazers.
Head coach Patti Gerckens and the Tritons will return several key players in 2017 including Maday and Lewis who were both named All-CCAA First Team. Lewis was this year's CCAA Freshman of the Year.
#TritonsRising
