Charlize Adano
After a roller coaster of a regular season, No. 6 seed UC San Diego (16-32, 13-14 Big West) made its debut at the inaugural Big West softball championship on May 7. As the tournament’s lowest seed, expectations were low for the Tritons, and while the trophy was never really in their sights, they proved that they were not to be trifled with.
Over the course of the Tritons’ three-day stay in Fullerton, UCSD pulled off the upset against No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara (33-24, 17-10 Big West) on Wednesday. The next day, a late-inning collapse resulted in defeat at the hands of No. 2 seed Cal State Northridge Matadors (26-24, 17-10 Big West). However, in the elimination rematch against the Gauchos, the Tritons were unable to claw back from an early six-run deficit, ending their season.
Game 1: 6-4 win vs. No. 3 UC Santa Barbara
The Tritons came in as underdogs against the Gauchos, who had claimed a 2-1 series victory in their last game against UCSD. This time around, a complete Triton performance and an uncharacteristically lax Gaucho defense yielded a 6-4 opening round victory for UCSD.
Senior pitcher India Caldwell had another successful outing on Wednesday, throwing seven strikeouts, including a final strikeout in the second inning to leave three Gauchos on base with the score level.
Junior center fielder Haley Garcia put the first Triton run on the board with an RBI single in the third inning; she finished 2-for-4 after hitting a double in the fifth inning. Senior third baseman Alexa DeMarse then cracked one into center field, sending sophomore second baseman Elise Nishimura around two bases to go up 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Tritons caught fire in the fifth inning, sparked by a sacrifice flyout from sophomore first baseman Zara Wasserman that brought Garcia home. Junior catcher Lily Hermosillo followed this up with a pop to the right field warning track that triggered graduate student shortstop Jaden Hill from first base to home plate, making it 4-0. Nishimura capped off the inning with an RBI single through the first-second base line to draw the score to 5-0.
UCSB fought back to spoil the clean sheet in the following inning, dropping one into shallow center field to notch a run back. The next Gaucho batter nearly turned the score on its head with a three-run homer over the center field wall. A groundout would close out the inning, however, giving the Gauchos one more chance to close the deficit.
The Tritons would be the only side to score in the final inning, this time off a Nishimura bunt and failed put-out attempt at first base. A pair of flyouts airbound for senior left fielder Morgan Eng’s glove at the bottom of the inning secured the 6-4 win for the Tritons.
Game 2: 4-2 loss vs. No. 2 Cal State Northridge
UCSD faced off against No. 2 seed CSUN the following afternoon, losing 4-2 in the second round of the championship.
While Garcia and Wasserman managed to get up to second and first base, respectively, the Tritons ended the top of the first inning with zero runs. At the bottom of the inning, Caldwell stepped into the pitcher’s circle and gave up an early run. Both teams went scoreless in the second inning.
The top of the third inning was a highlight for the Tritons, with freshman designated hitter Alexis Jimenez’s batting abilities stealing the show. Jimenez hit her fifth home run of the season, delivering a powerful out-of-the-park hit. Eng, who was standing on second base, also rounded home, putting the Tritons on top, 2-1. The Matadors managed to load the bases in the bottom half of the third but couldn’t score a run.
Things took an unfortunate turn for the Tritons in the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Matadors hit a home run to tie the score at 2-2. CSUN kept the momentum going with a two-run home run later in the inning, pushing it ahead of the Tritons, 4-2. The Matadors kept their lead for the rest of the seven inning game, ending it off with a final score of 4-2.
Game 3: 11-7 loss vs. No. 3 UC Santa Barbara
Now facing elimination, the Tritons squared off against No. 3 seed UCSB once again. A rough start would see them fall to the Gauchos, 11-7.
The top of the first and second was uneventful for the Tritons; despite managing to get players on bases, no runs were scored. Junior right-hander Claire Adams took the mound for Caldwell. The Gauchos, on the other hand, had a very busy first two innings, as they scored twice in the first and four times in the second, bringing the score to 6-0.
Both teams went scoreless in the third, but the bottom half included another Triton pitcher switch; right-hander freshman Callie Christian replaced Adams.
The Tritons finally found their footing against the Gaucho pitcher in the top of the fourth with the help of DeMarse. Sending the ball out of the park, DeMarse’s homer brought her and Hermosillo, who was standing on third base, back home. The Gauchos wasted no time responding to the Tritons and scored four runs after one expertly-hit grand slam that closed out the fourth inning with a score of 10-2.
The Triton bats stayed hot at the start of the fifth after Eng and Jimenez each managed to score, bringing the score up to 10-4 in UCSB’s favor. The Gauchos did not back down, and despite a good defensive run by the Tritons, managed to score once more, ending the fifth inning with an 11-4 lead. The sixth inning went by in a flash, with neither team getting a player past first base. As the specter of a Big West elimination grew nearer, the Tritons gave it their all, with Wasserman, Hermosillo, and Hill managing to make it home, bringing the final score to 11-7.
While the loss ended the Tritons’ conference championship bid, UCSD’s season was still one for the books. Despite starting the season with a 3-18 record, the Tritons advanced to the third round of the Big West Championship in their first year of postseason eligibility under the guidance of new head coach Nikki Palmer. Palmer’s coaching, along with Triton talent, helped the team outlast the higher ranked No. 1 seed Cal State Fullerton and No. 4 seed Cal State Long Beach.
UCSB went on to win the championship title after defeating CSUN 7-5 on Saturday night.