RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Returning to the diamond for the final series in April, the UC San Diego softball team earned a doubleheader split on the road against UC Riverside on Saturday afternoon. The Tritons won a close pitcher's duel by a 3-2 score in game one, and the Highlanders were able to bounce back in game two for a 12-4 victory.

Following Saturday's action, the Tritons now sit at 15-29, 8-11 overall and UC Riverside are 15-25, 9-11 in Big West play.
 
Putting together her conference leading 14^th complete game of the season, India Caldwell held the Highlanders to just two runs while allowing four hits, a walk and striking out four UC Riverside hitters.  
 
At the dish, UC San Diego's offense was led by Hailey Mulligan who posted a 5-for-7 line at the plate with a pair of RBI and a run scored while playing shortstop in both games for the Tritons.

UC SAN DIEGO 3, UC RIVERSIDE 2
Getting off to a quick start in the first game of the doubleheader, the Tritons scratched across the game's first two runs as they sent seven hitters to the plate in the inning.
 
Deena Pederson was able to start the rally as her base hit to left field plated Lexi O'Gorman, while Hailey Mulligan also crossed the plate on a Highlanders' fielding error to get UC San Diego off to the strong start.
 
The Tritons pitching was dominant throughout as India Caldwell tossed another complete game and held UC Riverside off the scoreboard for the first six innings of play in the first half of Saturday's doubleheader.
 
UC San Diego added a key tack on run in the top of the seventh as Morgan Eng singled to lead off the inning, stole second base and scored on Mariah Melendez's RBI single back up the middle to make it 3-0 Tritons.
 
The Highlanders weren't going down quietly in the bottom of the seventh as they scored twice and brough the tying run to third base with two outs. India Caldwell was able to get a key out to slam the door as the UC Riverside hitter lined out to second and the Tritons earned their second consecutive victory.
 
UC RIVERSIDE 12, UC SAN DIEGO 4
Looking to build off their game one victory, the Triton offense wasted little time to get going in game two as UC San Diego's first three hitters all reached base as Hailey Mulligan drove in Morgan Eng with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Tritons. Coming through with two outs in the inning, Brooklyn Lee delivered a two-run single of her own to score Lexi O'Gorman and Hailey Mulligan as UC San Diego led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the first.
The Highlanders were able to respond to UC San Diego's strong start as they scored four times in their opening frame as both sides combined to score seven runs in the first inning.
 
Trailing by a run, the Tritons continued to show their fight as they built a two-out rally as Deena Pederson singled and came around to score on Hailey Mulligan's RBI single to even the score at four apiece.
 
UC Riverside went on to score a run in the fourth and plated a pair in each of the fifth and sixth innings as they picked up the 12-4 win in six innings.


TRITON TIDBITS

• After a strong afternoon at the plate, Hailey Mulligan raised her batting average to a team-best .308 on the season.
• Following another complete game effort from Caldwell, the Tritons right-hander is the current Big West leader in innings pitched with 153 1/3 innings tossed this season.
• Pitching some key innings in the second part of the doubleheader, right-handed pitcher  Claire Adams matched her season high with four innings pitched against UC Riverside.

UP NEXT
The Tritons wrap up their series tomorrow afternoon against UC Riverside for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch from the Amy S. Harrison Softball Field. Live stats and broadcast information can be found at 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.