LA JOLLA, Calif. – Playing its first two games in 349 days, the UC San Diego softball team opened the 2021 season with an 11-inning, 6-5 win over visiting Grand Canyon. The Tritons would put up a battle in game two, but ultimately settled with a 4-6 loss. With the results, UC San Diego moves to 1-1 (0-0 BWC) overall, as the Antelopes move to 5-5 (0-0 WAC).
GAME 1: UC San Diego 6, Grand Canyon 5 (11 inn.)
The Tritons jumped on the board first in the bottom of the second inning. Senior
Isabel Lavrov doubled past the reach of the Antelopes' diving left fielder, followed by a sacrifice bunt from sophomore
Mikaila Pancino. Then, junior
Kinley Kyro punched a ground ball through the middle to score Lavrov for the Tritons' first Division I run.
In the fourth, UC San Diego found themselves in business once again. Redshirt junior
Bobbi Aguirre was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. She was replaced by redshirt sophomore
Kelley Renner, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a stolen base. With one out, Pancino lined a perfect slap over the shortstop to put the Tritons ahead by two.
The Antelopes came knocking at the door, tying the score at two in the top of the fifth, but the Tritons retaliated as junior
Keila Bosinger blasted a solo shot over the left field fence to retake the advantage.
Down by one heading into the seventh, with two outs, senior
Sherriah Harrington roped a pitch right back up the middle to put runners on first and second. Aguirre came up clutch with the game on the line, connecting on a pitch to left field to score Pederson, which sent the game to extra innings.
The two teams traded runs in the tenth. Upon stringing together a pair of solid hits in the eleventh, the Tritons ended the game in walk-off fashion as Aguirre added to her stellar day at the plate, scoring Pederson on a suicide squeeze.
Senior
Robyn Wampler silenced Grand Canyon through the initial four innings of play, surrendering just a single hit. She finished the game having tossed 11.0 innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits and two strikeouts. The Tritons outhit the Antelopes 14-11 as four individuals had multi-hit games.
GAME 2: Grand Canyon 6, UC San Diego 4
The Antelopes put up a crooked number (1-0) in the top of the first inning as the Tritons battled from behind for the remainder of the contest.
Junior
Clarissa Reynoso launched her first two home runs of the season, one solo shot in the fourth and a two-RBI homer in the sixth.
Although, it wasn't enough, as the Tritons left a total of 10 on base and Grand Canyon continued to add to their margin throughout the middle innings. Freshman
Gabby Williams recieved her first start on the bump. She threw four innings, recording three strikeouts. Sophomore
Kaia Simpson came in on relief, allowing just one run in three innings pitched. Simpson gave up three hits on 11 batters faced.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- Sunday's doubleheader was UC San Diego's first two games as part of the institution's Division I era.
- In her 29th season at the helm of Triton Softball, Head Coach Patti Gerckens collected her first Division I triumph.
- With Sunday's split, UC San Diego and the Antelopes remain tied at 12-12 in the series history.
- Redshirt sophomore Kelley Renner made her collegiate debut as a pinch runner in game one and earned her first collegiate start in game two.
- In game one, Aguirre was responsible for the game-tying RBI single in the seventh, the game-tying solo home run in the ninth, and the game-winning RBI suicide squeeze in the 11th.
- Junior Clarissa Reynoso drove across three of UC San Diego's four runs in game two by way of the long ball.
- Freshmen Gabby Williams and Deena Pederson made their collegiate debuts on Sunday as well.
UP NEXT
The Tritons will break from competition next weekend. On Sat. March 6, UC San Diego welcomes Utah State for a doubleheader matchup in La Jolla. Game one is set for 10 a.m. at Triton Softball Field with the next game following approximately 30 minutes after. The contests will be broadcast on ESPN3.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
