UC San Diego softball (2-16, 0-3 Big West) kicked off Big West conference play against Cal State Fullerton (16-9, 3-0 Big West) on Friday, March 7, at Triton Softball Stadium, falling 6-3 in the first of three matchups against the Titans this past weekend.
UCSD entered the match on an eight-game losing streak, signaling a tough three-game series against Fullerton, the reigning Big West conference champion. In the first inning, though, there was hope that UCSD’s slump would end. Senior right-handed pitcher India Caldwell struck out the first two hitters. Though Fullerton singled to the center-right gap, the Tritons denied an advance to second a few pitches later. UCSD allowed no runs, no errors, and only one hit to start the game.
In the bottom of the first, the Tritons kept up the momentum. Freshman third baseman Alexis Jimenez raced to second base on a fly ball to left field, opening up the UCSD offense and putting pressure on the Titans. Graduate student shortstop Jaden Hill took the plate next, walking to first on a hit by pitch. A few pitches later, junior catcher Lily Hermosillo walked to first. With the bases loaded, the Tritons were poised to strike.
Jimenez delivered, scoring on a wild pitch to notch the first run of the game. On the next at-bat, a walk to sophomore infielder Zara Wasserman loaded the bases again. However, senior right fielder Reilly Erickson could not convert, and the first inning ended 1-0, Tritons.
The second inning proved fruitless for both teams. Fullerton hit a flyout to senior left fielder Morgan Eng, who caught it to keep the bases empty. The next hitter grounded out, and Caldwell struck out the third. Unable to muster a hit, the second and third innings saw the reigning conference champions’ most lackluster plays of the game.
UCSD, suffering from a similar slump, could not get any runners on base in the bottom of the second. In the third inning, Hill knocked a single to left field, but the Tritons were unable to capitalize on her hit. The scoreboard didn’t budge until the fourth inning.
After a Wasserman catch earned the first out of the top of the fourth, Fullerton rebounded by smacking a home run out of the park, tying the game, 1-1.
The next hitter grounded out, but the Titans were undeterred. Fullerton hit a single up the middle and walked. Another single to right field allowed Fullerton to score, and the inning ended 2-1, CSUF. UCSD was unable to muster a response, failing to get any hits in the bottom of the fourth.
After singling to shortstop to begin the fifth inning, the Fullerton runner advanced to second on a wild pitch. The third hitter knocked a single to center field, scoring the runner on second and picking up Fullerton’s third run of the night. Their success dwindled when Caldwell fouled out the next hitter.
UCSD went into the bottom of the fifth facing a 3-1 deficit. Much like the third inning, Hill put up the sole hit — a single to shortstop rendered futile when the next hitter was fouled out.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Callie Christian took the mound in the sixth inning to fend off the Titans’ offensive attempts. Fullerton smacked a single toward center field, but was unsuccessful in converting it to a run. The Tritons weren’t out of the woods yet, with two Titans on first and second base due to a single and UCSD error. Christian struck out the next hitter to end the Titans’ hot streak at the top of the sixth, leaving two runners on base.
In the bottom of the sixth, senior infielder Marissa Hassis smacked a double into left field with two outs. Sophomore second baseman Elise Nishimura took first on a hit by pitch, only for the next hitter to be struck out to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, junior pitcher Claire Adams walked the first hitter. The next Titan hit a line drive to center outfield, stealing second base and allowing the previous hitter to take third. The third baseman scored on the next hit, 4-1 Fullerton. Adams struck out the next hitter, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Titans, still holding down second and third base. With two outs, Fullerton roped a single to left center to bring the runner home with an RBI double.
Despite the 6-1 deficit, the Tritons came alive at the bottom of the seventh. On the first pitch, Eng hit a single to the left infield. She stole second base with Jimenez at-bat, moving up again when Hill walked. Fullerton met at the mound, seemingly nervous. Hill stole second on a wild pitch and senior utility player Alexa DeMarse walked to first. The bases were full with one out as UCSD looked to match Fullerton’s seventh-inning success. Hermosillo walked as well, allowing Eng to touch home plate and make the score 6-2, Fullerton.
“[We] stayed a little bit more disciplined at the plate and let the pitcher feel the pressure instead of us,” head coach Nikki Palmer said in a postgame interview with The UCSD Guardian. “And looking for our pitch, finding barrel and just more team hitting.”
The Tritons’ night wasn’t over yet — with the bases still juiced, Hill scored another run while Wasserman grounded out. The RBI brought the score to 6-3. The next hitter struck out, ending the conference-opening match with another UCSD loss. Still, the Tritons’ first and seventh innings showed potential for their two remaining games against the 2024 conference champions.
“They always put a good lineup together, so I’m sure they’ll come back harder and try to attack us,” Palmer said. “But we’ll do the same, we’re going to do our homework. We’re going to stay ready. We’re going to come back stronger tomorrow.”
UCSD fought through a tough doubleheader against the Titans the next day. Unfortunately, the Tritons came up short in the next two games, ultimately falling 2-4 and 0-8 to Fullerton on March 8. The Tritons will seek to break their string of losses against the Cal Baptist Lancers in Riverside on March 11.
