LA JOLLA, Calif. – Dropping the series to Long Beach State, the Tritons split the finale doubleheader with the visitors winning game one, 1-0, and falling in game two, 6-2.
 
India Caldwell tossed a gem as she shutout Long Beach State allowing no runs on three hits and two walks. The right-hander tossed seven punch outs and improves to 10-7 on the season.
 
Battling the Beach pitcher, the Tritons knocked five hits and scored one run for the win. Morgan Eng led the gold and blue at the dish going 2-for-3 with the run scored and a stolen base that helped her get home. Brooklyn Lee tallied a sacrifice fly and Deena Pederson tallied a sacrifice hit, both critical to scoring Eng.
 
Earning her first collegiate start, Claire Adams got the start in game two and allowed no runs on two hits, two walks, and one strikeout over four innings. Entering as relief, India Caldwell allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks. A Triton error allowed two runs to score.
 
At the plate, Brooklyn Lee went 3-for-3 with a run batted in. Zoë Richards added her support going 2-for-2 with walk and a run batted in as well. Deena Pederson and Alexa DeMarse each scored a run.
 
UC SAN DIEGO 1, LONG BEACH STATE 0
A pitcher's game ensued in La Jolla as India Caldwell held the Beach hitless until the top of the third after retiring five in a row. The Triton's first hit did not come until the second when Alexa DeMarse hit a two-out single to left field. She immediately stole second but was left stranded as the Tritons flied out.
 
Two more hits were tallied in the bottom of the third as Zoë Richards battled through an eight-pitch at-bat to single past second base. Morgan Eng set a bunt down to the right of the plate to advance Richards into scoring position and reach. Both runners were left stranded.
 
The next Triton hit didn't happen until the fifth when Marissa Hassis laced a leadoff single past second after battling seven pitches.
 
It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth the Tritons were able to score. Eng laced a single up the middle and stole second during Deena Pederson's at-bat. A sac bunt from Pederson moved Eng to third and Brooklyn Lee was able to bring her the final 60 feet on a sac fly, 1-0.
 
Facing the final three batters, Caldwell froze the first batter for the first out. The second batter groundout as Richards tagged the bag unassisted at first. On a diving catch in the left field, Eng sealed the shutout.
 

Morgan makes the hustle play to win game one ??

Game ?? come up in 30 minutes!#GoTritons ?? pic.twitter.com/8cYzRCAvmv

— UC San Diego Softball (@UCSDsoftball) April 6, 2024

 
LONG BEACH STATE 6, UC SAN DIEGO 2
Striking early, the Tritons got on the board in the bottom of the first with a single run. After reaching on a fielder's choice, Deena Pederson stole second to get into scoring position for Brooklyn Lee. The freshman catcher then hit a long single to right center to bring Pederson across, 1-0.  
 
Claire Adams held the Beach scoreless through four innings of work, allowing only two hits.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Tritons scored again to pull ahead to 2-0. Alexa DeMarse powered a double to the center field warning track to become the leadoff runner. As Zoë Richards stepped into the box, two outs were on the board and DeMarse was still waiting at second. Richards then cracked a triple down the right field line to the foul pole to bring in DeMarse and slide into third.
 
On a Triton error in the top of the fifth, Long Beach scored and advanced the batter all the way to third. They were able to bring the runner in from third at tie the score at 2-2. Trying to respond in the bottom, the Tritons left Brooklyn Lee stranded on first.
 
In the seventh, a grand slam for LBSU opened up the game as they pulled ahead to 6-2. The Tritons tried to rally in the bottom, but a doubleplay cut the rally short.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Morgan Eng went 5-for-7 with a run scored.
• Brooklyn Lee went 3-for-5 with an RBI in both games.
• Zoë Richards went 3-for-4 with a run batted in.
• Claire Adams earned her first collegiate start and allowed no runs on two hits.
• 14 runs were left on base over the three-game series.
• The Tritons continue the hunt for a series-win over Long Beach State.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons head north to Cal Sate Fullerton for a three-game series beginning on April 12 at 6 p.m. Games two and three will take place on April 13 at 1 p.m. All three games will be live on ESPN+ with live stats 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 began a new era in 2020 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 earned 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.