FORT COLLINS, Colo. – UC San Diego softball will advance to the next round of the National Invitational Softball Championship Super Regionals after defeating Rutgers University, 7-5, in a Saturday afternoon matchup. The Tritons will move on to face No. 2 seeded Baylor University.
The No. 10 seeded Tritons move to 28-26 overall and the No. 7 Scarlet Knights are now 25-29 overall.
The Tritons were led by centerfielder
Kelley Renner who was 3-for-4 at the plate with one run recorded. Shortstop
Deena Pederson and second baseman
Isabel Lavrov added support at the plate, going 2-for-4, each scoring a run. Pederson tallied three RBI along with first baseman
Bobbi Aguirre. Designated player
Morgan Eng went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Six Tritons tallied a run today.
In the circle for the Tritons,
Jada Cecil got the start against Rutgers and allowed four runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Kaia Simpson came in as relief in the bottom of the third and allowed one run on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Scarlet Knights struck first with five runs spread over the second, third, and fourth inning to lead the Tritons 5-0 at the end of the fourth.
In a fifth-inning rally, the Tritons shrunk the deficit to one after hanging four runs on the board in the top of the inning. The rally began when
Morgan Eng powered a single out to center field to become the lead run. On a sacrifice bunt,
Mariah Melendez advanced Eng into scoring position at second. Then
Kelley Renner laced a single past the shortstop to put herself and Eng on the corners. On the first pitch,
Deena Pederson snuck a single through the left side to plate Eng and advance Renner. With one out and two on,
Bobbi Aguirre launched a no-doubter over the left-field fence to record three runs and bring the Tritons within one, 5-4.
The Tritons' bats continued to stay hot in the sixth as they tallied two runs on three hits.
Alexa DeMarse sent a single to right center field to become the lead runner. She was able to advance to second on a ground out. Eng was then walked by RU. With two on, Renner laced a single out to center field to advance both of her teammates. Pederson battled through a full count to lace her own single up the middle to plate DeMarse and Eng to take the lead from Rutgers, 6-5.
The final dagger came in the seventh when
Isabel Lavrov sent a solo-home run over the left center field fence for the insurance run, 7-5.
Entering in the bottom of the third,
Kaia Simpson allowed one run on five hits. She retired two Scarlet Knights and induced five groundouts and six flyouts.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Kelley Renner went 3-for-4 with one run
- Deena Pederson went 2-for-4 with one run and three RBI
- Isabel Lavrov went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI
- Morgan Eng went 2-for-3 with two runs recorded
- Kaia Simpson recorded her 100th career strikeout in her 4.2 innings.
- Today was the Tritons first win against a power five university and their first postseason win in their reclassification to NCAA Division I.
- This was UC San Diego and Rutgers University's first meeting and the first time the Tritons have played a Big 10 opponent.
UP NEXT
The Tritons will continue competing in the NISC tournament and will face No. 2 seeded Baylor University tomorrow, May 22 at 1:30 pm MT. Live stats are available on UCSDTritons.com.
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.
