LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego split its first two games in the first La Jolla Invitational on Friday, topping Saint Mary's, 3-2, before falling to Sacramento State by the same score on Friday night at Triton Softball Field.
UC San Diego moves to 3-4 overall, while Saint Mary's is now 2-5 and Sacramento State stands at 3-3 following the first day of play. Earlier on Friday, the Gaels and Hornets both fell to Utah, 3-2 and 9-8 respectively.
UC SAN DIEGO 3, SAINT MARY'S 2
Neither team was able to dent the scoreboard through the first four innings of play. In the fifth,
Sophia Real laced an RBI double to left center field, giving the Tritons the lead. Her two-bagger plated
Deena Pederson, who had reached on an error and put herself in scoring position by stealing second.
The Gaels responded in the top of the sixth to take the lead with a pair of runs. After the second run, the Tritons made a pitching change and brought in right-handed junior
Kaia Simpson. She induced a ground ball double play to end the frame and keep UC San Diego within a run.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Tritons offense recorded four hits and scored two runs to pull back in front.
Gabby Williams singled to left field and pinch-runner
Morgan Eng stole second.
Isabel Lavrov's single up the middle, plated Eng and
Clarissa Reynoso doubled down the left field line to bring in Lavrov for the go-ahead run.
Simpson shut down the Gaels in the seventh to preserve the win.
SACRAMENTO STATE 3, UC SAN DIEGO 2
Jada Cecil was in the circle for the Tritons in their second game. She pitched five innings, striking out eight, while allowing four hits and three runs.
Coming in the top of the sixth, Simpson faced the minimum six batters over two innings. She kept the Hornets quiet to give her team a chance.
Trailing by a pair in the bottom of the seventh, Williams blasted a solo homer to left – her second of the season –
to draw the Tritons to within a run, but UC San Diego could not even the score as the Hornets earned their first win of the day.
QUOTABLE
"our pitchers did their job today. They kept the batters off balance and didn't let them convert," said UC San Diego head coach
Patti Gerckens. "Today was a solid day. We were able to learn about our opponents and ourselves. We played a good game, but we need to string more connections together to create scoring opportunities."
TRITON TIDBITS
- The La Jolla Invitational is the first Division I invitational hosted by the Tritons.
- While Saint Mary's and Sacramento have faced off before, this is the first time the Tritons have competed against either team.
- Marissa Hassis recorded a double against Sacramento State, her first collegiate hit.
UP NEXT
The Tritons will continue hosting the
La Jolla Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at Triton Softball Field. They host Utah at 4:30 pm and and Saint Mary's at 7 pm with both games airing live on ESPN+.
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.
