SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Zara Wasserman led UC San Diego in a comeback victory on Saturday afternoon as she knocked in a team season high five runs for a result of 9-8 over Cal Poly.

UC San Diego moves to 13-25 overall and improves to 11-10 in the Big West. Cal Poly moves to 8-33 overall and 3-18 in conference play.

Getting the start, freshman Callie Christian tossed 1.2 innings allowing three runs on three hits and three walks. India Caldwell relieved the start and went 5.1 innings giving up five runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. At the plate, Zara Wasserman was 2-for-3 with two doubles knocked, a walk earned, and five RBI tallied. The last time a Triton tallied a five RBI game was in the 2021 season. Morgan Eng added her bat going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base. Haley Garcia drove in two more runs and scored two more of her own.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Falling behind their host early, UC San Diego made it onto the board in the third inning after going down three. Morgan Eng got the inning started with a single through the left side on the first pitch. She was moved into scoring position when Haley Garcia was able to slash a single up the middle on a 1-2 count. Jaden Hill advanced both runners on a fly out to center, setting Zara Wasserman up to knock both runs in as she powered a double down the left field line.

Taking the lead in the fourth, the Tritons scored four runs to go-ahead at 6-3. Lily Hermosillio singled up the middle and was advanced to second on a sac bunt from Ryanna Alano in the next at-bat. Eng came back up to the plate and laced a single past the shortstop to reach and move Hermosillo to third. Garcia sent another single up the middle to drive in Hermosillo and Eng reached third on a Mustang error. A wild pitch allowed Eng to score - narrowly missing the tag - Garcia moved into scoring position at second. Hill was intentionally walked and went on to score with Garcia as Wasserman sent another double to the outfield.

Building on the two-out rally of the fourth, UC San Diego scored three more in the fifth inning making the score, 9-5. Hermosillo knocked a double to left field to become the lead runner. Pinch hitting for Alano, Emma Umemura earned a walk after a six-pitch at-bat. Another pinch hitter converted as Alexis Jimenez loaded the bases with her single through the left side. Eng scored Hermosillo as she slashed a single to keep the bases loaded. Garcia grounded out to the pitcher but earned an RBI as Alano came around to score. Hill was walked again and kept the bases loaded for the gold and blue. Wasserman battled a 3-2 count and nine pitches to win the walk and walk in Jimenez.

The Mustangs made a late charge in the sixth and seventh coming within one run of the visitors, but India Caldwell shut the door with three strikeouts over those final two innings.

TRITON TIDBITS

• India Caldwell is four strikeouts from 200 career strikeouts at the NCAA Division I level.
• Morgan Eng is 17 steals away from breaking the program career record for stolen bases. So far this season she has averaged about 1 steal per game.
• Zara Wasserman drove in 5 runs today which is a team season high, individual career high, and a mark the Tritons haven't reached since 2021.
• As it stands, the Tritons are currently in 6th place in the Big West which is where they will need to remain to qualify for the inaugural conference tournament.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego returns to La Jolla to celebrate their six seniors and host fourth-place CSUN in a three-game series beginning on Friday, April 25 at 5 p.m. The series will wrap in a Saturday-doubleheader set for 1 p.m. at Triton Softball Field. All three games will be live on ESPN+ with live statistics available on UCSDTritons.com.