The UCSD softball team played a total of six games in four days, including a four-game series against Cal State Stanislaus that began on Friday and carried into Saturday, followed by a doubleheader against Adelphi University on Monday afternoon. The Tritons were also able to rack up five wins out of the six games, which included sweeping the four-game series in dominant fashion, continuing their strong start to the season. UCSD now holds a 10–2 overall record and is 4–0 in conference play.
Game One vs. Stanislaus
The Tritons had their best overall performance of the season in the first game out of four against Stanislaus. UCSD batted in a miraculous 14 runs after just two innings of the game and put up three more on the board later in the bottom of the fourth. Stanislaus had no answers and was shutout 17–0.
In the first inning, senior catcher Emma Schneider contributed a three-run home run to give UCSD a strong start to the game. Afterwards in the second, as part of the 10-run inning, Schneider brought in two more runs as the bases were loaded to bring her RBI total to five. Sophomore outfielder Kendall Woken similarly batted in two runs with a single to right field.
Senior lefty pitcher Lexi Edwards continued her winning ways, as she is now 3–0 for the season and only gave up two hits, striking out four while on the mound. Junior lefty pitcher Milana Casillas made her debut as a Triton pitching in relief during the fifth.
Game Two
In a much more competitive game, UCSD grinded out a 5–4 victory due to late-game heroics by sophomore first base Sam Glantz and Schneider.
UCSD, after taking the early advantage in the first inning through sophomore outfielder Kelsi Maday’s solo home run, fell behind in the second by allowing three runs. Going into the bottom of the seventh, the Tritons were only down by one at 4–3; Glantz then came up to the plate to bat and hit a single down the middle to bring in freshman outfielder Erin Lipelt and tie up the game. Schneider seized the opportunity in the eighth inning and won the game for UCSD as she cleverly bunted the ball to help bring in Maday in walk-off fashion.
Freshman pitcher Lauren Brown, earned her third win of the season as she pitched 6.2 innings in relief with one strikeout.
Game Three
On Saturday afternoon, the Tritons began their second doubleheader against Stanislaus, and after being down early were able to recover and take yet another victory with a 8–4 scoreline.
Maday got the Tritons an early lead in the first, hitting a double to left center field. However, the Warriors came back in the following inning through junior outfielder Cassidy Duke’s two-run home run to take the lead.
From there on, UCSD took control of the game as it brought in three runs in each the fourth and fifth inning to put the game out of question. Freshman shortstop Maddy Lewis contributed with a RBI double and senior outfielder Taylor Ayeta with a RBI single in the fourth.
In the fifth, the Tritons broadened their lead as sophomore catcher Lauren Sanders batted in Maday and senior shortstop McKenna Clewett hit a RBI double to make it 7–2 at the end of the inning.
Stanislaus attempted a comeback through a second two-run home run from Duke in the sixth, but it was too late, as UCSD added another run in response to give itself a 8–4 win. Edwards earned her second win of the series with three strikeouts.
Game Four
Similar to the first game of the series, the Tritons displayed their dominance early and fast. After the second inning, the game had a UCSD win written all over it as it led 11–1.
To start, Maday tripled in the first inning to bring in Kendall Baker. Then, Schneider followed it with single to center to bat in another run.
The Warriors self-destructed in the second as they produced two errors and five walks in which the Tritons took full advantage and scored nine in the inning. Sanders hit a two-RBI single following the errors of the Warriors.
Brown moves now to 4–0 for the season as she pitched four innings and was relieved by senior righty Hannah Duarte in the fifth.
Game One vs. Adelphi
After coming in full of confidence behind a four-game series sweep against Cal State Stanislaus, the Tritons came up just short in the first game of the doubleheader against Adelphi University.
The Panthers gained an early one-run lead in the first inning, and the game remained 1–0 until the fourth. UCSD was finally able to tie up the game as Lewis doubled to center field and brought in Maday, who had bunted her way on base early in the inning.
Adelphi then responded strongly in top of the sixth, as it scored six runs to regain the lead and give UCSD the tough task of coming back.
The Tritons did create a game out of it by bringing three runners home in the bottom of the sixth after the bases were loaded and sophomore designated hitter Emily Sklencar hit a single to center, followed by a Clewett RBI single to bat one more score in.
In the final inning of the game, UCSD needed three more runs to tie it up, but came short as it could only produce two.
Lefty Edwards took her first loss of the season (4–1).
Game Two
The second game of the doubleheader was completely different from the first, as the Tritons only needed five innings to get the best of Adelphi in a 13–0 shutout victory.
This time around, UCSD got off to an early 4–0 lead in the first as Sanders contributed with a two-run single. The Tritons then added to it in the third with eight more runs, with the help of a Clewett two-RBI single. Adelphi had no response this time as it struggled to manage a mere one run throughout the ball game.
In the fourth, the Tritons put up one final run on the board which gave the win to Brown, who now stands at an impressive 5–0 with an 0.85 ERA.
The Tritons will now go on the road to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills after having played 10 consecutive home games. It will be part of a four-game series being held this weekend in Carson, Feb. 19 to 20.
