UCSD softball split four games last weekend, losing two to San Francisco State on Feb. 7 and beating Sonoma State twice on Feb. 8.
“”The games [against San Francisco] were very close — they could have gone either way,”” said Triton head coach Patti Gerckens. “”We just couldn’t put the key hits together; we should’ve scored more runs.””
The first game against San Francisco on Feb. 7 resulted in a 3-1 extra innings loss for UCSD, which was starter junior Jodie Bland’s first loss of the season. The Tritons matched the Gators in hits with seven, but San Francisco was able to pull ahead behind Natalie Batista’s shot off the left field wall in the the eighth inning. UCSD’s Jamie Hurst scored her team’s only run when she was knocked in by junior Kim Aggabao in the seventh inning.
In the second game, the Tritons were defeated 4-2, giving starter sophomore Keri Hanley her second loss of the season, even though UCSD out hit the Gators 9-8. Batista continued to hurt the Tritons, scoring two runs and hitting a home run, and so did teammate Holly Pearce. Aggabao and junior Amy Mettee both had two hits for UCSD, and Aggabao added two RBIs to her team-leading total.
“”San Francisco has really improved, but these games served as a good learning experience,”” Gerckens said.
These victories marked the first time since 1981 that UCSD has lost to the Gators.
The Tritons turned it all around when they traveled to Sonoma State, though, and they won their first game on Feb. 8 by a score of 4-0, giving starter Bland her third win for the season and bringing her record to 3-1.
This time, all the offense belonged to UCSD, since Bland kept the Seawolves to just four hits while getting two strikeouts and going 2-for-3 at the plate. Mettee went 2-for-4 with a home run, and Aggabao added three hits and three RBIs. The Tritons scored a run both in the first and third innings, as well as two in the seventh inning.
“”We put the hits together, and just really came out ready to play,”” Gerckens said. “”We made the most of our opportunities, and playing like that after two tough loses really shows how much character and heart the girls have; we’re just going to keep learning.””
The second game against Sonoma State was even better for the Tritons, who won 10-0 in the fifth inning after the mercy rule was invoked. Hanley threw a near-perfect game for UCSD: a no-hitter with only two walks, giving her a third win on the season. The bats were hot for the Tritons again, with sophomore Mieko McCue going 3-for-3 and scoring two runs; Mettee hitting 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI; and Aggabao going 2-for-2, scoring a run and knocking in four RBIs, bringing her team-leading total to 13.
The Tritons were scheduled to play Point Loma on Feb. 11, but the game was cancelled on account of rain, so the next game for UCSD will be the home opener on Feb. 15 against CSU Stanislaus at noon.
