SOFTBALL — The Tritons survived the most intense weekend of
the season on April 4 and 5 against
salvaging a split in the four game series. No. 15 UCSD battled back and forth
with the visiting Otters as tensions grew throughout the series. All four games
saw some form of late-game theatrics or game-changing plays, including many
controversial calls from the umpiring staff, one of which led to the ejection
of head coach Patti Gerckens in the series finale.
Before the Tritons can look ahead to the postseason, they
will have to first go through California Collegiate Athletics Association rival
and the conference’s first-place team
With such a big series looming, it would have been easy for the Tritons to lose
focus against the Otters, but they were able to keep their composure and grind
out a series split.
“Although we split this weekend with [CSUMB], the team was
not content with our performance,” freshman shortstop Sarah Woofter said. “We
were expecting to at least win three out of the four games, if not sweep them.
As a whole we have been struggling with consistency up at the plate this whole
season but it has been our tremendous defense and pitching that has allowed us
to get away with it. This weekend our defense was not solid and we did not
perform the way we have all season.”
Game one of the series saw UCSD follow its typical
production of stellar starting pitching and timely hitting for a 6-0 victory.
Senior left-hander Melissa Ward threw a two-hit shutout for her 13th win and
eighth shutout of the year. For the first five innings, Ward was clinging to a
1-0 lead provided by senior third baseman Jenny Maze’s fourth inning solo shot,
but the offense exploded for five sixth-inning runs to give Ward the breathing
room that she has often been denied this season.
In the nightcap, the Triton bats couldn’t rescue junior
starter Lauren Chastain, who allowed only four baserunners all game but took
the loss in a close 3-2 contest. CSUMB’s Angela Cabral handcuffed UCSD for six
innings before the Tritons were finally able to scratch across two runs in the
bottom of the seventh, but the rally fell short. For Chastain, Ward and all
members of the dynamic pitching staff who have not always been given the run
support that they need, maintaining a positive outlook keeps the faith in their
offense’s imminent breakthrough.
“As an offense, we go out there every game trying to push as
many runs across as possible,” Chastain said. “When playoffs roll around, we
aren’t going to change our strategy; we go up to the plate looking to hit the
ball hard and score runs every inning and as a pitching staff it’s our job to
make those runs hold up.”
Game three saw the normally immaculate Triton defense make
two crucial errors that led to two unearned runs and a heartbreaking 2-1 loss.
Ward again threw a solid complete game, but a shaky defense and an offense that
only provided a first inning RBI single from junior outfielder Allison May
doomed UCSD.
Sensing the importance of the series finale, the Tritons
scored in each of the first three innings to pace themselves to a 6-4 win that
proved their ability to bounce back from their previously disappointing games.
UCSD jumped out to an early lead with back-to-back-to-back first inning hits
from Woofter, junior first baseman Jenni Habib and May. Freshman outfielder
Katrin Gabriel provided a clutch two-out, two-RBI single up the middle in the
bottom of the second and Maze completed the early scoring by driving a third
inning pitch over the centerfield wall for her second homer in as many days.
A series split might not have been optimal, but the
weekend’s nail-biting games gave UCSD something that a mere “W” could not: the
ability to overcome failures and grow as a team. The weekend intensity will be
put to the test when the Tritons next travel north to play the No. 7 Humboldt
State Lumberjacks with conference playoffs two weeks further down the road.
“As a team I feel we are ready for the postseason,” Woofter said.
“We are ready for this weekend against Humboldt. It is going to be an exciting
series and our team is working hard to prepare for the games. We need to just
play with confidence and know that we are the top team because that’s when we
play our best.”
