The UC Santa Barbara softball team was defeated by Long Beach State in Saturday’s doubleheader at the LBSU Softball Complex, falling just short in a 2-1 defeat before losing 8-0. The Gauchos move to 11-29 overall and 3-12 in Big West Play.
Game 1
Lexy Mills (2-8) earned the start tossing 6.0 innings of two-hit, two-run ball to go along with three strikeouts and six walks. She also notched her 11th RBI.
Madelyn McNally registered the sixth double of her sophomore campaign, stretching her hit-streak to 13-straight. McNally was responsible for the lone run from UCSB.
Senior Maci Fines went 2-for-3 at the plate – half of the Gauchos’ hits for this game.
Shortstop Madelyn McNally was the first up to bat for Santa Barbara and was able to reach first safely after beating out a late throw by The Beach that was recorded as an error. McNally advanced to second after a single from Fines and would come home to score after a fly ball from Mills was dropped by LBSU’s right fielder.
LBSU responded in the bottom of the first with a run of their own, tying the game. Both teams kept tight defense for the next four innings, resulting in blanks.
Entering the bottom of the sixth tied at 1-1, The Beach was able to get three runners aboard before a wild pitch by Mills made it so that Jacquelyn Bickar could give LBSU their first lead.
Game 2
The Gauchos recorded six hits in the second game, including Fines who now has 43 on the season – good for second on her team and sixth in the Big West.
Ilona Sullivan tossed four full innings, registering a strikeout and three walks.
The Beach broke the scoring open in the bottom of the first, scoring six runs off of six hits.
Two Gauchos were left on base in the first, second, and fourth inning, along with one more in the fifth.
Both teams were held scoreless from the second through the fourth, but LBSU found two more runs in the fifth, effectively run-ruling the Gauchos to end the game at 8-0.
Santa Barbara will make its way back home to host Cal State Fullerton at Campus Diamond next weekend for a three-game series.
Britt Calvillo writes about sports for UCSB.
email: sports@newspress.com
