IRVINE, Calif.  – The Tritons were one of five teams that competed in the first annual Mark Campbell Invitational hosted at Bill Barber Park. The Tritons faced off with #1 Oklahoma on Sunday for the first time, and battled their way through the first four innings, but ultimately fell to the defending national champions, 8-0, in five innings.
 
UC San Diego moves to 2-3 overall, while Oklahoma improves to 5-0.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After competing in four games over Friday and Saturday, including two nationally ranked teams and scoring 15 runs overall, the Tritons were ready to close out the weekend facing one more nationally ranked team.
 
Bobbi Aguirre was able to single up the middle at the top of the first and get on for the Tritons, recording their lone hit for the day.
 
The Sooners scored one quick run in the bottom of the first, after getting two runners on base. When a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Sophia Real prevented the Sooners from scoring a second time in the inning and secured the Tritons second out with a laser throw to catcher Clarissa Reynoso for an out at home plate. Gabby Williams battled from the circle and center fielder, Kelley Renner, who hustled to catch a pop fly, put the Tritons back on the attack.
 
At the top of the second, Isabel Lavrov capitalized on a Sooner mistake, and was able to get on base from an error. Reynoso advanced Lavrov into great scoring position with a sac bunt, and Lavrov's aggressive baserunning helped her get to third. The Tritons threatened to score, but Lavrov was stranded on third.
 
As the Tritons transitioned back to defense, Williams had a quick defensive inning with a strikeout and two groundouts to third baseman Real and shortstop Deena Pederson. Aguirre and Reynoso had a combined nine of the Tritons' 14 putouts over the five innings. Their locked in defense helped pitchers, Williams and Shelby Thompson, make sure the Sooners left eight runners on the bases. Williams recorded five groundouts and three flyouts and Thompson added another two groundouts; frustrating the Sooners' batters who averaged about three homeruns and 11 hits per game in the 2021 season.
 
Williams faced 26 batters, only gave up seven hits, and had three strikeouts against the Sooners, who over the weekend had recorded eight hits against #3 UCLA.
 
The Sooners scored two runs in the third and three in the fourth, ending the contest after the Tritons were set down in the fifth inning by a bases clearing fly ball. The ball dropped between two Triton defenders, allowing the Sooners a run-rule victory over the Tritons.

QUOTABLE
"This was a huge weekend for us," said coach Patti Gerckens, "we faced three nationally ranked teams and we competed."
 
Gerckens was proud of the Triton pitchers, "Gabby and Shelby were tremendous." Even though the pitchers battled through some tough innings, Gerckens said, "Their composure on the mound is exactly what we want."
 
Going 2-3 on the weekend against three nationally ranked teams, Gerckens said, "this weekend was an absolute win for us."

TRITON TIDBITS

• In 2021, Sophia Real had two hits over the first five games of the season, but in the first five games of this 2022 season, she has already recorded 8 hits.
• Clarissa Reynoso threw out Jocelyn Alo in the bottom of the fourth for her second caught stealing in 2022.
• The Mark Campbell Invitational was started in honor of club and high school coach Mark Campbell who passed away in 2019.

UP NEXT
The Tritons are hosting the La Jolla Invitational next weekend at the Triton Softball Field. Their first game of the invitational takes place on Friday at 4:30 pm versus Saint Mary's, followed by another game at 7 pm against Sacramento State.
 
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 38 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.