The UCSD softball team stormed into its 2006 season last weekend, tearing through doubleheaders on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 at home. Extending their winning streak to four straight, the Tritons beat both San Francisco State and Sonoma State, and are now undefeated in their conference and 13-6 overall.
Sophomore third baseman Jenny Maze had a solo home run in the Tritons’ 5-4 win over San Francisco State, the first of the team’s four games to start league play on Feb. 24 and 25.
Riding high on their previous wins over San Francisco State on Feb. 24, the Tritons returned on Feb. 25 to face Sonoma State. They set out early in the game, scoring two off of senior outfielder Niki Anderson’s single in the second. Sonoma State came back with one run in the third and another three in the fourth to take the 4-2 lead over UCSD.
In the bottom of the fourth, senior outfielder Jenny Spencer answered the deficit with a two-run shot to tie the game. Junior outfielder Brittni Carino followed up the bomb with a single and stole second, putting her in position to score the go-ahead run. She did just that on sophomore Elizabeth Vazquez’s RBI single to push the Tritons ahead of the Seawolves.
Sophomore starting pitcher Melissa Ward worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the seventh and the Tritons walked off with a 5-4 win.
Ward improved her record to 8-2, thanks in part to Spencer and junior catcher Nikki Palmer, who led the team with two hits apiece.
In the second game of the day, the Tritons found themselves trailing 6-0 in the third inning. Franciscus lead the team in the Tritons’ fourth come-from-behind win in a row, launching a two-run homer in the third. Junior Dallas Hernandez contributed another long ball in the fourth and the Tritons tallied 12 runs against Sonoma State.
Sonoma was unable to match UCSD’s offense and the Tritons ran away with the victory, 13-7.
Sophomore Nicole Fullerton was awarded the win in relief, giving up six hits but only one run. She improved to 4-2 on the year.
Spencer led the Tritons in the last game of the weekend with three hits, three runs and four RBIs. Her second homer of the day came in the fifth inning and cemented UCSD’s lead.
Before facing Sonoma State, the Tritons began their league schedule by sweeping two games against No. 9 San Francisco State on Feb. 24.
The first game began in favor of the Gators, as Ward gave up three singles and a grand slam in her first five pitches, leaving the Tritons trailing by four runs after the top of the first inning.
The Tritons retaliated fiercely, scoring one run in the first and three more in the fifth, thanks to back-to-back homers by sophomores Vazquez and Jenny Maze. The game-winning run came on a suicide squeeze play in the bottom of the ninth inning, in which senior Desiree Franciscus scored Carino. Franciscus lead the team with four hits in the 5-4 Triton victory.
Ward, who started out shakily, regained composure to finish the game, not allowing another run after the first inning and striking out four Gators.
In the second game against San Francisco State, Fullerton came on early in relief of freshman Lauren Chastain, who walked the first three batters of the game to load the bases. Fullerton got the Tritons out of the jam but later allowed three runs in the second to make the score 3-0.
The Tritons stepped up to the challenge, responding with seven runs in the second, only four of which were earned. Capitalizing on Gator errors, the runs came off only five hits. Freshman Jenni Habib, Spencer and Anderson each earned RBIs with their hits in the 7-4 win.
UCSD will continue its trek next weekend, heading out on the road to Chico State. After the doubleheader on March 3, the Tritons will travel to Cal State Stanislaus on March 4.
