After narrowly qualifying for the Big West Championship in its last week of regular season play, No. 6 seed UC San Diego softball (23-28, 12-15 Big West) headed to Fullerton on May 6. However, back-to-back one-run losses doomed the Tritons, who left the conference tournament winless. This year’s Big West Championship marked the Tritons’ second trip in as many years of eligibility.
Game 1: 10-9 loss vs No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara
The Tritons’ first game against No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara (31-26, 18-9 Big West) was nothing short of explosive. With a season-high 18 hits and home runs from three different batters, UCSD put on its best offensive game of the season. The game lasted over three hours and two extra innings; freshman pitcher Callie Howard threw over 160 pitches in a career-high 8.1 innings.
The Gauchos struck early with a run in the bottom of the first. UCSD pulled together a response in the third inning when sophomore right fielder Tyla Arbuckle scored off an RBI by sophomore shortstop Marley Espiau. Then, sophomore designated hitter Maalia Cherry’s RBI single scored senior center fielder Haley Garcia; a fielding error at second base gave Espiau the time to round home and put the Tritons up 3-1 at the top of the third.
The Gauchos tied the game in the fourth inning with a two-run home run. However, the Tritons kept the pressure on. In the fifth, Espiau scored off an RBI single, and junior first baseman Zara Wasserman kept the offense rolling with a double to set up a three-run home run for Garcia, bringing the Tritons back to a 7-3 lead.
The Gauchos fought to tie the game once more in the bottom of the fifth with another two-run home run, then two more runs to even the score at 7-7. Neither team scored in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
Hope sparked for Triton fans when sophomore left fielder Samantha Womack launched a home run in the ninth to put UCSD up 9-8. But UCSB wasn’t done; the Gauchos tied the game in the bottom frame, then hit an RBI single to win the game 10-9.
Game 2: 5-4 loss vs No. 5 seed Long Beach State
UCSD, set to play No. 5 seed Long Beach State 45 minutes later, had no time to recover from its loss against UCSB.
The game against the Beach proved tougher on the Tritons from the beginning. Already exhausted from three hours of play, UCSD floundered in the first inning, allowing LBSU to score three runs. The second and third innings went much the same, with the Tritons recording three straight outs in each.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the Tritons’ offense exploded. The comeback attempt began with senior catcher Lily Hermosillo, who crushed the first pitch thrown to double to left field. Junior second baseman Jackie Tremper singled, and Womack loaded the bases. After sophomore pitcher Callie Christian drew a walk to score the Tritons’ first run, Espiau delivered a two-run single — and a Beach fielding error allowed a third batter to score, tying the game 4-4.
However, the Beach took the lead in the sixth inning after a leadoff walk and a wild pitch. Although the Tritons threatened in the seventh with runners on base, they were unable to capitalize. The Tritons’ season ended with a 5-4 loss on the first day of the tournament.
UCSD’s second season with postseason eligibility proved to be a record-breaking one despite ups and downs along the way. It had its best Division-I era start, opening the season with a 9-1 record. The Tritons also hit 38 home runs this season, breaking their Division-I era record. They were led by Cherry, whose 15 home runs broke the program’s single-season record.
