LA JOLLA, Calif. – The sixth-ranked University of California San Diego softball team split its doubleheader with Sonoma State on Friday afternoon to open California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action. With the result, the Tritons move to 8-1 overall, while the Seawolves move to 2-5 on the year.
Game One: UC San Diego 3, Sonoma State 1
In game one, the Tritons took an early 1-0 lead in the third inning.
To start,
Isabel Lavrov hit a ball shallow to the left side. A diving Seawolves' left fielder could not hang on and Lavrov legged the bloop single into a double due to the junior's hustle.
Clarissa Reynoso laid a sac bunt down the first base side to move Lavrov to third. Then,
Sophia Real poked a single through the right side to get UC San Diego on the board.
The Tritons were back for more in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead 2-0. In the sixth, UC San Diego would collect another run for insurance. Exhibiting her speed,
Danielle Stedman tapped a single to third base and stole second shortly after. Carrying out the small ball again, Lavrov dropped a sac bunt to set up Reynoso with a runner on third. Reynoso drilled a ball just past the reach of the first baseman to pick up the RBI and a three-run cushion for her team.
Robyn Wampler was lights out on the mound. Heading into the seventh inning, the lefty had retired nine in a row and had only faced an additional two Seawolves over the minimum. Although Sonoma State delivered one run after a walk led to an RBI triple, Wampler did not skip a beat and closed out the game 3-1 for another Triton win.
In 26 batters faced, Wampler surrendered just three hits and one walk, and allowed one earned run. The Triton starter collected four strikeouts on the day as well.
With limited offensive performances from both sides, the Tritons edged the Seawolves five to three hits and left a total of seven on base. The defense was also spotless with zero errors.
Game Two: Sonoma State 4, UC San Diego 3
Game two appeared to sit in favor of UC San Diego for a majority of the seven inning contest, but a scrappy Sonoma State program did not settle.
The Tritons struck first once again.
Mikaila Reyes tagged her second home run of the season, deep to left field, to put UC San Diego up 2-0 in the bottom of the second.
Just one inning later, Lavrov chopped a ball up the middle and advanced to second on a stole base. With a runner in scoring position,
Danica Kazakoff connected on a double down the left field line to push the run differential to three.
The Seawolves answered back with a run of their own thanks to a solo homerun by their clean-up hitter.
The Tritons hung on to a 3-1 margin with just three outs to go and
Alanna Phillips was set to go the distance. Back-to-back doubles by the Seawolves cut the deficit to two. Shortly after, a two-run homer gave Sonoma State the go-ahead run at 4-3.
It was the first time UC San Diego had trailed all series. A quick three outs credited CCAA foe Sonoma State with the victory.
Prior to game two, the Tritons' 8-0 run was their best start since 2017 when they won nine in a row to start the season.
Up Next
The Tritons and Seawolves will square off again on Saturday, Feb. 8 to close out the four-game CCAA series. The doubleheader is set to begin at 11 a.m. at Triton Softball Field.
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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