SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC San Diego softball dropped the series to UC Santa Barbara on Monday afternoon as the Gauchos won the rubber match in a 4-1 decision.
The Tritons move to 11-20 overall and 4-2 in Big West play.
Tossing her ninth complete game,
India Caldwell gave up four runs on nine hits and one hit by pitch. The junior tallied five strikeouts and tossed a total of 98 pitches.
Brooklyn Lee led at the plate going 2-for-2 with the lone run batted in.
Morgan Eng added her support batting .500 and scoring the run. Nine runs were left on base for the Tritons in the series finale.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons fell behind in the first as the Gauchos put up three runs in the bottom of the opening inning. It wasn't until the third inning the Tritons were able to bring a run in.
The bases were loaded as
Morgan Eng and
Lexi O'Gorman hit back-to-back singles.
Deena Pederson then reached on a fielder's choice followed by
Hailey Mulligan getting walked. With one out on the board,
Brooklyn Lee cracked a single to center field to advance runners and plate Eng. As the bases remained loaded, the Tritons were unable to convert.
The Gauchos extended their lead in the fourth inning with another run. The Tritons threatened in the final innings but left nine runners on over the finale.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Brooklyn Lee was perfect at the plate going 2-for-2 and batted in the lone run to break up the shutout.
- Morgan Eng stole her 21st base of the season.
- This is India Caldwell's ninth complete game and her first loss in ten appearances.
- UC San Diego continues to lead the all-time vs. record at 8-5.
UP NEXT
The Tritons return to La Jolla to host Hawai'i for a three-game series beginning with a nightcap on Friday night at 5 p.m. The series will wrap on Saturday with a doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m. Friday night's game and game one of the DH will be broadcasted on ESPN+ 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.
