LA JOLLA, Calif. – On Feb. 10, in a Friday night doubleheader at the La Jolla Invitational, UC San Diego topped the Stonehill College Skyhawks in their opening game of the season, 4-0. In the second game of the night, the Tritons knocked off the Northern Colorado Bears in the bottom of the seventh, winning 4-3.
 
The Tritons begin their season undefeated with a 2-0 start. After falling earlier to Utah, both the Skyhawks and Bears finish the day at 0-2.
 
In game one, Gabby Williams got the start in the circle for the Tritons against the Skyhawks. Dealing a career-high 11 strikeouts, the junior only gave up two hits and one walk. Kaia Simpson came on as relief in the seventh inning and went three up three down with one strikeout. At the plate, Bobbi Aguirre led the Tritons going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run scored and one run batted in. Supporting Aguirre was Zoe Richard who recorded a run and went 2-for-3.
 
Shelby Thompson started game two in the circle for the Tritons. The lefty pitched three innings allowing one unearned run and two hits and two walks. Jada Cecil came in as relief during the fourth and allowed two runs, a hit, and three walks. The sophomore dealt six strikeouts to the Bears, holding them to three runs. Going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, Deena Pederson recorded three of the four Triton runs. Bobbi Aguirre went 1-for-1 and batted in two of the four runs. Alexa DeMarse was critical at the plate as her sac bunts allowed the Tritons to move along the base paths and drove in the walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh.
 
UC SAN DIEGO 4, STONEHILL 0
As the game shaped up to be a pitcher's duel, the Tritons were first on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Zoe Richards laced a single through the left side to get it started for the Tritons with Morgan Eng coming to pinch run. A sac bunt from Mikaila Pancino advanced Eng into scoring position. On a bunt single, Deena Pederson batted Eng in to put the Tritons up 1-0.
 
In the sixth, the Tritons tacked on three more runs. On an error by the Skyhawks Clarissa Reynoso was able to reach. She proceeded to steal second. Bobbi Aguirre brought Reynoso home with a powerful double out to left field. Pinch hitting in her college debut, Georgia Heathcock laced a single up the middle to plate Aguirre. Reilly Erickson then pinch ran for the freshman and was able to score when Lily Hermosillo was able to reach on an error.

The Skyhawks had no response for Gabby Williams as the junior right-hander handed out 10 strikes over 5.2 innings. Kaia Simpson sealed Williams' game in the seventh facing Stonehill in a three up, three down fashion.
 
UC SAN DIEGO 4, NORTHERN COLORADO 3
Northern Colorado opened the game with a quick run in the top of the first. The gold and blue responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run to tie. Deena Pederson got on with a single threaded up the middle. She proceeded to steal second and third base to put herself in scoring position. Bobbi Aguirre was walked and pulled the defense's attention when she put herself in a pickle situation. The Bears' error in that moment allowed Pederson to score, going up on UNC 2-1.
 
The score remained 2-1 until the fifth when the Tritons added an insurance run. Singling through the right side, Gabby Williams became the lead runner. Pederson bunted a slow roller, allowing herself to get on base and advancing Williams. Alexa DeMarse sac bunted to advance both runners. Bobbi Aguirre's sac fly then allowed Williams to score, going up 3-1.
 
The Bears tied it in the top of the seventh with a two-run home run.
 
Pederson came up big in the bottom of the seventh when she powered a triple to the right field foul pole. With two outs and extra innings on the line, DeMarse laced a single up the middle, allowing Pederson to score and walking off the victory.  
 
HIGHLIGHTS


TRITON TIDBITS

• Gabby Williams surpasses her career-strikeout record with 10 strike outs in game one vs. Stonehill College.
• Georgia Heathcock, Lily Hermosillo, Teagan Dobson, Hailey Mulligan all made the NCAA Division I college debut.
• UC San Diego moves to a 2-0 record as they open the 2023 season hosting the second annual La Jolla Invitational.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego continues to host the La Jolla Invitational as they face Utah and Stonehill College in the afternoon with game one starting at 4:30 pm. Streaming live on ESPN+, Ted Mendenhall will call the action with live stats 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.