UCSD continued its California Collegiate Athletic Association dominance this past weekend, winning two against Chico State on Feb. 13 and taking one in a doubleheader against UC Davis on Feb. 14, who is tied with the Tritons for first place in the CCAA.
The Triton offense exploded right off the bat in the first game against Chico State. UCSD scored in every inning except the second and won 15-4. Every starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run as well.
“We played really well — our bats were working great in the first game, we started hitting right from the start, and scoring almost every inning,” head coach Patti Gerckens said.
There was an abundance of outstanding offensive performances. Junior catcher Jamie Hurst went 3-4 with two runs and three RBIs, senior shortstop Kim Aggabao went 2-4 and also scored two runs and three RBIs, and sophomore second baseman Desiree Franciscus also finished 2-4 with two runs and three RBIs.
Freshman ace pitcher Tina Rowe extended her win and complete game streak to five each, bringing her record up to 5-0 on the season.
The second game was much more of a pitcher’s duel, but UCSD came out on top again, pulling out a 1-0 victory behind the offensive and defensive contributions of senior pitcher Jodie Bland. Bland not only pitched a complete game shutout to get her third victory of the season, putting her record at 3-2, but she also contributed the lone RBI for the game, scoring sophomore outfielder Jenny Spencer on a double in the second inning. Bland was 2-3 on the game, with an RBI, while Spencer went 1-2 with a run.
“Jodie was just in control on the mound — it was her game, it was her best performance of the year,” Gerckens said. “When you have so much offense in the first game, the defense is not really noticed, but the defense was very noticeable; Chico had runners on, but they just didn’t score.”
UCSD got its offense going in the first game against Davis on Feb. 14, earning a 5-3 victory after going into the fifth inning trailing 1-0. The Tritons scored four unearned runs in the fourth, knocking out Davis’ No. 1 pitcher Amy Rosson. Offensive highlights included sophomore outfielder Niki Anderson going 2-3 with a run and an RBI, and junior outfielder Breanne Cope, who went 1-3 with a run and drove in two more.
“We hadn’t seen Davis in a while,” Gerckens said. “We played a hard game, knocked out their No. 1 pitcher and came from behind, something we’ve had a lot of chances to do lately. We have taken advantage of them.”
Rowe provided yet another complete game victory, which raised her season total to six, and her record to 6-0.
The second game proved a tough defeat to suffer, with Davis finally putting the game away in the bottom of the 11th inning after a critical Triton’s error allowed UC Davis to pull ahead, 5-4.
Senior third baseman Amy Mettee led UCSD from the plate, going 3-4 with two runs, while Spencer added two RBIs and Aggabao went 1-3 with a run and an RBI. UCSD’s biggest problem was leaving 16 runners on base, including numerous runners in scoring position, both during regulation play and in extra innings.
“These kinds of games make us better,” Gerckens said. “I want the pressure so the girls show how they will handle it when it happens again, and there is no more pressure than 11 innings. This was the type of game where it comes down to whoever makes the first mistake, and unfortunately that was us. Though Davis is good, I think we’re better, and we should have won both of these games, hands down.”
Bland went the distance, pitching all 11 innings, but suffered a loss in the end, bringing her record to 3-3 on the year.
“Tina had two great wins, but Jodie [Bland] pitched her two best games of the season this weekend,” Gerckens said. “She is a strong senior out there on the mound, and she is just getting better and better.”
The Tritons will once again take the field on Feb. 18 when they take on Azusa Pacific in a doubleheader at Triton Softball Stadium. The first game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., while the second will begin at 6 p.m.
