STOCKTON, Calif. – UC San Diego dropped its first two games at the Libby Matson Tournament at Bill Simoni Field Friday on the University of the Pacific campus. The Tritons fell, 3-1, to host Pacific in the opener before dropping a 4-0 decision to Fresno State on Friday afternoon. The Tritons (10-8) failed to get a hit in the second game.
PACIFIC 3, UC SAN DIEGO 1
Pacific (5-12) sealed the win in the fifth inning with a solo home run, extending its lead to 3-1.
UC San Diego's main offensive push occurred in the fourth inning.
Haley Garcia started with a single, followed by
Marley Espiau's single.
Maalia Cherry's RBI single up the middle brought Garcia home.
In the seventh inning, the Tritons threatened with two runners on base after a single by
Jackie Tremper and
Elise Nishimura reaching by being hit with a pitch. However, the rally was halted as a pinch hitter grounded out, ending the game and leaving the potential tying runs stranded.
Garcia contributed with a run and a hit in three at-bats, showcasing a .667 OPS. Espiau led the team with two hits in three at-bats, maintaining an OPS of 1.333. Cherry drove in one run with a hit in three at-bats, while also recording a strikeout.
Bella Settembro pitched three innings, allowing one earned run on one hit and striking out four, with a WHIP of .33. 21 of Settembro's 31 pitches were strikes.
FRESNO STATE 4, UC SAN DIEGO 0
UC San Diego was unable to register a hit against Fresno St. (5-7), as Bulldogs' hurler Lauryn Carranco struck out 12 in a complete-game effort.
Fresno St. secured the lead with a decisive fourth inning. Two runners were aboard, setting the stage for a three-run homer by Alyssa Ramirez.
For the Tritons, opportunities to shift the game's dynamics slipped away as they struggled to capitalize on baserunners. In the second inning,
Alexa DeMarse drew a walk, but the team was unable to bring her home. A similar chance arose in the sixth inning when
Gianna Ioja walked, yet the lineup couldn't produce the needed hit to ignite a rally.
Zoë Rutherford pitched a complete game, throwing 88 pitches with 60 strikes. She struck out three, but fell to 1-3 on the season as the offense failed to produce.
TRITON TIDBITS
- After winning 10 of its first 11 games, UC San Diego has now dropped seven straight.
- Friday morning's game at UOP was the Tritons' first true road game of the season.
- Fresno State's no-hitter in game two was the second time the Tritons have been held hitless since moving to Division I in 2021. The other was April 1, 2023, in game two of a doubleheader at Hawai'i.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego concludes play at Libby Matson Saturday morning against the same two foes. The Tritons will square off against UOP at 10 a.m. (ESPN+) and Fresno State at Noon. Live stats for both games can be found 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 in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 84 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 NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
