SOFTBALL — After a season-opening series in which the
Tritons scored 32 runs on their way to a 4-0 record in the Mizuno Best of the
West tournament, UCSD was only able to scratch up six runs over four games this
weekend against Chico State.
Although, for the most part, their offense went into hiding this weekend, the
Tritons were still able to split the series 2-2, leaving with an overall record
of 6-2.

In the series’ first game, UCSD didn’t lose for lack of
opportunities, and in the end was unable to come through with a clutch hit,
getting shutout of 1-0. The leadoff man reached base and moved over to second
on a sacrifice bunt in each of the first two innings of the Feb. 9 game, but
both times the runner was left stranded. The Chico
pitcher, freshman Kyrstle Shaw, walked six Triton batters throughout the game,
but was always able to escape unscathed. UCSD left nine runners on base, a
staggering total for a team that prides itself on its offensive prowess.

After a costly error in the first game against Chico State on Feb. 9 Senior outfielder Randelle Bundy had two hits and two runs in the second game. (Erik Jepsen/Guardian)

The unfortunate pitching punching bag was UCSD’s senior
starter Melissa Ward, who pitched seven gutsy innings and allowed only a
fourth-inning run on a two-out double to center. Even Ward’s complete-game,
one-run, seven-strike-out performance couldn’t overcome her team’s anemic
offense and she was dealt her first loss of the young season.

In Friday’s nightcap, the first five innings mirrored the
pitcher’s duel of the previous game, with neither team scoring any runs. In the
bottom of the fifth, junior first-baseman Jenni Habib and senior thirdbaseman
Jenny Maze finally came through with the clutch hits that eluded the Tritons,
notching a pair of RBIs for a score of 2-0. The two-run cushion was more than
enough for junior pitcher Lauren Chastain, who tossed a three-hit shutout while
striking out five.

San Diego’s
offensive struggles went from a problem to a pandemic in the third game of the
series, when the team was shut out again 4-0 in an extra-innings heartbreaker
on Feb. 9. Again, Ward was the undeserving losing pitcher, but this time
around, there was almost nothing that she could have done better. The southpaw
threw a no-hitter through seven innings of regulation play, but was forced to
take her no-no bid into extras.

After another perfect eighth inning, Chico
State finally broke through in the
ninth. A one-out error by leftfielder Randelle Bundy put the go-ahead run on
base before the visiting Wildcats put together two doubles and an infield
single that scratched across four runs to seal the win.

Head coach Patti Gerckens was straightforward with her
assessment of why her team dropped two of its last three games.

“Our offense is
nonexistent and our pitchers are getting no support whatsoever,” Gerckens said.
“We’re not making adjustments at the plate. [Chico’s
pitcher, Kyrstle Shaw] is no better; in fact, I think we faced better pitching
last week. We’re just refusing to make adjustments.”

Sophomore catcher Nicole Saari echoed her coach’s
observations, saying that to regain its winning ways the team only has to get
back to playing its offensive style of softball.

“We need to go out there with confidence and just know that
we can get back to hitting the ball like we know how,” Saari said. “We need to
start making adjustments between every at-bat and showing good discipline at
the plate. Our pitchers are doing an amazing job, and it’s up to us to give
them all of the support that they deserve.”

Between games, Gerckens lividly scolded her team for chasing
bad pitches and the players’ inability to get the clutch hit. The Tritons used
their coach’s impassioned speech to kick-start their offense and were able to
triple their run production from the previous three games, pulling out a 6-5
win to salvage the series split.

Freshman shortstop Sarah Woofter’s first collegiate homerun
helped pace the Tritons to a 5-3 lead, but in the top of the seventh UCSD was
unable to shut the door and allowed two runs, sending the game once again into
extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, the Tritons were able to find a
much needed clutch hit, and won the game on Chastain’s walk-off single up the
middle, scoring Woofter and hopefully giving the team the confidence it needs
to put its recent offensive struggles behind it.

The Tritons will travel to Phoenix
to participate in the Schutt Sports Leadoff Classic from Feb. 14 to Feb. 16,
when they are slated to play Grand Canyon University,
Missouri Western State and New
Mexico Highlands University.