SEASIDE, Calif. - The 22nd-ranked University of California San Diego softball team won both ends of a doubleheader at league rival Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday at the Otter Sports Complex. The Tritons took the first game, 2-1, and scored late to earn a 3-0 win in the second game of the day.
The two victories gave UC San Diego a 3-1 series win over CSUMB.
With just four games left in the regular season, UC San Diego is 30-15 overall and 23-13 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), good for second place.
Game One: UC San Diego 2, Cal State Monterey Bay 1
UC San Diego scored twice in the first inning and held Cal State Monterey Bay to just one unearned run the rest of the way.
Following two walks and a double steal, the Tritons had Sherriah Harrington (Chula Vista/Eastlake HS) at third and Maddy Lewis at second. Bobbi Aguirre singled to plate Harrington and a sacrifice fly by Kelsi Maday brought in Lewis to put UCSD up 2-0.
The Otters scored their lone run in the bottom of the second. Julia Garcia singled and took third on a base hit by Jayme Stark. A two-out infield error by the Tritons allowed Garcia to score.
Monterey Bay left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings and stranded 10 runners total in the game.
Both teams managed just three hits apiece, all singles.
For UC San Diego, Aguirre was 2-for-3. Maday had two of the Tritons' five stolen bases.
In the circle, freshman left-hander Robyn Wampler tossed her 17th complete game of the season, walking four and striking out four.
Morgan Hawkins (2-5) suffered the loss. She gave up the two earned runs while walking three and striking out three over seven innings.
Game Two: UC San Diego 3, Cal State Monterey Bay 0
The Tritons scored all three of their runs in the top of the seventh inning to complete the Saturday sweep.
To get things going, Lewis smacked a leadoff double to left-center on a 3-2 pitch, the ninth pitch of the at bat. She advanced to third on a sac bunt and scored on a squeeze play when interference was called on the Otters' catcher at the plate. Maday laid down the bunt on the squeeze and was safe at first on the fielder's choice. Lauren Sanders then singled through the left side of the infield to put runners at first and second with one out. Maday and pinch runner Kendall Woken moved up a base on a ground out and both scored on a single to left by Mikaila Reyes (San Diego/Torrey Pines HS).
Wampler was masterful yet again, allowing just two hits while walking two and striking out six in her eighth shutout (two combined) of the year. The reigning CCAA Pitcher of the Week went 3-0 over three complete game efforts in the series. Two of the wins were shutouts as she surrendered just a single unearned run and eight hits while fanning 17 batters over 21 innings.
Wampler improved to 21-7 and now holds a stellar 1.36 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 170 innings of work.
Lewis was 2-for-3, while Kendall Baker stole two bases, giving her 21 this season.
Courtney Hennings had both of Monterey Bay's hits. Hayley Fein (15-14) pitched all seven innings and took the loss.
It was the eighth shutout victory and the fourth conference series win for UCSD this season.
UC San Diego, ranked fifth in the NCAA West Region, concludes its regular season next week at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The four-game CCAA series starts on Friday, April 27, with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Carson.
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