The Tritons got off to a rocky start against CSU Stanislaus on Feb. 15, losing the first game of their doubleheader 10-4, but quickly bouncing back to take the second game in a 2-1 victory.
Guardian
Everything started off well for the Tritons, who jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the first inning and extended that lead to 3-1 after the second inning. Things continued to go the Tritons’ way throughout the first four innings, at the end of which they led the Warriors by a score of 3-2.
Things quickly turned sour for UCSD in the fifth inning when starting sophomore pitcher Keri Hanley had trouble facing the first three batters. At this point, junior Jodie Bland was called in for relief. Stanislaus proceeded to score seven runs in the fifth inning, putting the game out of reach for the Tritons at 9-3. Hanley was credited with the loss, which brings her record to 3-3.
The Warriors added an insurance run in the sixth, and UCSD started a comeback in the seventh, but was only able to produce one run, making it a 10-4 loss.
“”Our communication just fell apart in [the fifth] inning,”” said Triton head coach Patti Gerckens. “”They had some hits, but we had a lot of mental lapses. We’re going to take that and learn from it.””
The first game was not without positives, however, especially at the plate. Junior Kim Aggabao continued to knock in the runs, adding two RBIs to her team-leading total while also going 2-for-4 with a run. Sophomore Breanne Cope went 2-for-3, while sophomore Jamie Hurst and freshman Jennifer Leonard each added an RBI for the Tritons.
The second game started off in much the same fashion as the first, with UCSD scoring once in the second inning and leading 2-1 after the third inning. That score would stick for the rest of the game. Bland threw a complete game, with the victory bringing her record to 4-1 on the season.
“”We came back with a lot of heart and a lot of guts in the second game,”” Gerckens said. “”We could have given up, but we fought back and won.””
Junior Amy Mettee provided the offensive spark for the Tritons, going 2-for-3 and scoring one of the two runs. Freshman Niki Anderson scored the second run, while Cope had the sole RBI of the game, the other run scoring off an error.
The Tritons made good use of an aggressive offensive bunting strategy, coupled with strong baserunning in the second game that was crucial to their victory.
“”We had a lot of key bunts in the second game,”” Gerckens said.
One of UCSD’s big problems this weekend was the number of runners left on base. Gerckens noted that the team needed to work on this after leaving seven runners on in the first game and nine in the second.
The Tritons overall record is now 7-4, 3-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, which places them in a tie for fifth place with Cal State San Bernardino. UCSD’s next game takes place on the road on Feb. 21 against non-conference opponent Azusa Pacific University, followed by CSU San Bernardino on Feb. 22.
