Stormy weather put a damper on the weekend for the UCSD softball team. After a doubleheader against No. 6 Cal State Bakersfield was canceled due to inclement weather on April 14, Cal State Dominguez Hills swept the Tritons in two games on April 15. The Tritons fell by scores of 4-0 and 7-1 at home in their second sweep of the season at the hands of the No. 10 Toros.
Freshman first baseman Jenni Habib and the Tritons had sour faces throughout UCSD’s series against Cal State Dominguez Hills, getting swept by the Toros in a doubleheader on April 15.
In the first game, Cal State Dominguez Hills jumped onto the board in the top of the second inning after a solo home run and added two more to its tally in the third for a 3-0 lead.
The Tritons threatened in the fourth inning, putting runners on second and third with one out, but junior second baseman Dallas Hernandez and sophomore third baseman Jenny Maze both struck out swinging to strand the runners.
UCSD mustered up another opportunity late in the sixth inning with one out and runners on first and third, but two lazy fly balls signaled the end of any offensive comeback in game one. The Tritons were shut out after seven by a score of 4-0.
Sophomore pitcher Melissa Ward fell to 13-8 on the year after giving up 10 hits and four runs. Ward did triumph over defending California Collegiate Athletics Association Player of the Year Cindy Perry-Brown, holding the slugger to only one hit in four at-bats.
“Melissa Ward has done a great job this season for us,” head coach Patti Gerckens said. “She is really keeping the other teams guessing.”
In the second half of the doubleheader, the Tritons responded to a 1-0 deficit in the first with a RBI double by Maze the next inning to tie the game.
The Tritons kept strong defense in the third, as freshman hurler Lauren Chastain chalked up back-to-back strikeouts to put an end to the Toro scoring threat, stranding two runners on base.
The Toros responded in the fourth, capitalizing on two UCSD errors. The defensive falter led to five Cal State Dominguez Hills runs.
UCSD could only drum up two hits in the rest of the game, while Cal State Dominguez Hills racked up another run in the fifth to seal the win.
Senior outfielder Jenny Spencer played a large role in the Triton offensive attempt, accounting for two of the six UCSD hits in her three at-bats. Prior to the game, Spencer and fellow seniors, outfielder Niki Anderson and shortstop Desiree Franciscus, were honored during the Senior Day ceremonies.
Sophomore pitcher Nicole Fullerton threw two innings of relief to hold back the Toros, allowing only three hits and walking one with one strikeout.
After this weekend, the UCSD team fell to 8-10 in league play and 20-20 overall.
Gerckens said several injuries may have affected the team’s performance.
“I am optimistic about the rest of the season; however, we do have a lot of injuries which could hurt us,” Gerckens said. “Right now Spencer, [freshman first baseman Jenni] Habib and [sophomore shortstop Elizabeth] Vazquez are all hurt so we need people to step up. Our defense has been good but our offense needs to be more consistent.”
The makeup date for the Cal State Bakersfield games has not been scheduled yet, but the two teams will work to play the twin bill at Triton Softball Field some time before the end of May.
The Tritons return to action on April 21 to host Cal State Stanislaus for a doubleheader. After that series, the Tritons will play most of the remainder of their games against CCAA opponents on the road, except for a doubleheader against Grand Canyon at home on April 28.
