In its first two games of the season, the UCSD softball team bested visiting Biola University. If the weekend’s performance was any indication of the team’s prospects this season, then the Tritons are in great shape for Division II competition.
Guardian
Junior Leea Harlan pitched for UCSD in the first game of the doubleheader. She was masterful, allowing no runs and striking out eight Eagle batters over six innings.
The teams battled through two scoreless innings, but Biola threatened in the top of the third. With no outs, the Eagles put two runners on. Fortunately, the Tritons’ ace in the circle shut the door. Harlan struck out the next batter, got a force out at third, and ended the inning with another strikeout.
In the bottom of the third inning, UCSD exploded for four runs. Junior Samantha Hayes led off with a double and scored the game’s first run off a triple by Kristina Anderson. Freshman Kim Aggabao followed with a sacrifice fly to bring Anderson in for the second run. After getting the second out of the inning from Harlan, Biola committed a costly error that allowed Christina Searing to reach base and kept the Triton inning alive. Michelle Wilson, a senior, hit a shot to center field for a triple, driving in Seering from first base. Wilson crossed the plate for the final run of the inning on Jeanine Cordero’s single.
In the fifth inning, third baseman Cordero robbed Biola of a sure hit when she dove to her left for the ground ball and gunned it to first for the out. In the same inning, freshman shortstop Amy Mettee made a diving effort for a short line blooper in front of second base to retire the batter.
The last threat that Biola posed was a lead-off single in the seventh. However, that was as far as the Eagles got. The next three batters were put down in order and the Tritons preserved their 4-0 shutout.
In the second game of the doubleheader, junior Christi Martinelli was in the circle for the Tritons and the UCSD dominance continued. They lit up Biola for nine runs while holding the Eagles to only one.
The UCSD scoring began in the second inning with Mettee notching a single and advancing to second on an error. Mettee then stole third base and sophomore catcher Kristin Hunstad drove her home with a single to left field. Hunstad later advanced to third on a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt by Angie Carr. An RBI single from Hayes to bring in Hunstad capped the two-run second inning.
The Tritons scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Aggabao and Hayes scored on a single up the middle from Wilson.
Biola scored its lone run in the sixth inning off two doubles to center field.
The bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the big one for UCSD. The Eagle defense committed crucial errors and the Tritons took advantage, getting five runs off four hits. Mettee was busy on the base paths, stealing second and third base en route to crossing home plate on a wild pitch. She finished the game with three stolen bases.
The game was called in the sixth because the Tritons were eight runs ahead.
The UCSD softball team will open California Collegiate Athletic Association play with a 2-0 record. The Tritons take on Sonoma State in a doubleheader Friday.
