LA JOLLA, Calif. – Junior Kinley Kyro clobbered a solo home run, deep to left center to lift UC San Diego over the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders in the finale of a three-game Big West Conference series on Sunday afternoon. The 1-0 pitcher's duel between UC San Diego starter Robyn Wampler and UC Riverside's staff ended in favor of the Tritons in front of a home crowd at Triton Softball Field. 
 
With the victory, UC San Diego moves to 11-18 overall and 7-11 in Big West play, as UC Riverside falls to 7-23 overall and 6-15 in conference.
 
GAME 3: UC San Diego 1, UC Riverside 0
Wampler was locked in all game. Through four innings of play, the senior had already tallied six strikeouts, tying her season best in an outing. She left UC Riverside hitless after four complete. 
   
Sophomore Sophia Real lit up the hit column for UC San Diego with a line shot through the right side in the bottom half of the fourth. The Tritons looked to get something going, but stranded runners in scoring position.

The game remained 0-0 at the end of six and a half innings of play, with both teams scattering just four hits combined - UC San Diego with one and UC Riverside with three. 
 
The battle came down to one big hit. With two outs retired, Kyro connected on a 1-1 count, elevating her team to a game three win - their second consecutive over UCR - which ultimately clinched the series for the Tritons, 2-1. 
Wampler went the distance to capture her seventh complete game and sixth victory (6-11) of the year. She faced just five over the minimum, allowing three hits and walked zero. 

QUOTABLE
 Watch the postgame interview with Coach Gerckens, Robyn Wampler, and Kinley Kyro:



TRITON TIDBITS

• The Triton defense was solid, only allowing one error throughout the entire series.
• Wampler, Kaia Simpson and Gabby Williams combined for a 1.40 ERA throughout the three games. The seven strikeouts in game one was a season-high for the staff.
• Kyro's walk-off was just her second homer of her Triton career. She tallied her first four-bagger back on April 3, 2021 against Hawaii.
• UC San Diego outscored the Highlanders 13-5 overall. 
• Highlanders' Head Coach Nikki Palmer was a four-year letter-winning catcher under UC San Diego Head Coach Patti Gerckens from 2004-2007. Following graduation, Palmer also served as an assistant coach for the Tritons in 2008.  

UP NEXT
UC San Diego will remain at home next weekend, May 7-8, when they take on CSUN in a three-game Big West Conference series. Friday's game will be held at 5 p.m. while Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. at Triton Softball Field. Prior to Saturday's games, UC San Diego will honor its five seniors. 
 
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.
 
Return To Sport… Safely
In order for UC San Diego scholar-athletes to be permitted to return to training and competition safely and within federal, state, local and university guidelines, the athletic department implemented a number of measures designed to complement and enhance the university's highly-successful Return To Learn program.  Notable actions include being physically distanced when practical, including during out-of-season training sessions; wearing masks, except when undergoing physically strenuous exercise; and maintaining proper hygiene.  Athletes, coaches and staff are testing at a higher frequency than the campus population, teams adhere to CDC, NCAA and Big West Conference guidelines and department officials participate in regular meetings with conference and university-affiliated physicians and the UC San Diego emergency operations staff.