LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego softball fell to BYU in the season opener on Thursday night after the Cougars took a dominant lead in the sixth for a final score of 8-0.
The visiting Cougars are now 1-0 and the Tritons enter the rest of the weekend at 0-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The visitors quickly loaded the bases in the first inning on a single out putting the pressure on senior right-hander
India Caldwell. Forcing another out on a fielder's choice, the starting pitcher was able to battle her way out of the inning when she froze the batter for the third out.
UC San Diego didn't earn a one-two-three inning until the top of the third when Caldwell forced a pop up and ground out and tallied her second strikeout. Through three innings, the Tritons left three runners stranded, including
Morgan Eng on third. The senior slapper made her way to third on a single after stealing second and a wild pitch.
The Cougars were able to strike first on a solo shot over the middle outfield to go up 1-0. UC San Diego started the bottom of the fourth with a double powered to left field by transfer sophomore
Zara Wasserman. Pinch running and making her collegiate debut,
Ryanna Alano was able to make it to third before she was stranded.
The Tritons forced a double play to start the fifth when
Marissa Hassis scooped a slow roller and fired to
Chloe Lesko, who made the catch as she dropped into the splits to keep her foot on the bag. On two outs, BYU went on to hang four runs on the board to pull away to 5-0. The bottom of the inning had Eng stranded on first before the Tritons could bring anyone home.
In the sixth, BYU pulled away to 8-0 and the Tritons were unable to overcome the deficit to extend the game to seven innings.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Starting pitcher: India Caldwell
- Lineup: Morgan Eng, Elise Nishimura, Lily Hermosillo, Zara Wasserman, Alexa DeMarse, Marissa Hassis, Emma Umemura, Chloe Lesko, Haley Garcia
- UC San Diego wore their navy tops and bottoms.
- Triton debuts: Elise Nishimura, Zara Wasserman, Chloe Lesko, Haley Garcia
- Collegiate debuts: Samantha Womack, Ryanna Alano, Emma Umemura, Callie Christian
- Nikki Palmer makes her debut as the UC San Diego head coach.
UP NEXT
The Tritons continue the La Jolla Invitational and will have an opportunity for revenge as they take Portland State at 4:30 p.m. and BYU at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7.
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.
