UC Santa Barbara (5-9) snapped an eight-game losing skid early Friday morning as it picked up a 6-1 victory over visiting Wisconsin (3-8) on the second day of the Gaucho Classic at Campus Diamond.
Sophomore Brooke Putich led the Gauchos going 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and an RBI. In the circle, MeLinda Matsumoto (3-3) picked up the win after tossing 3.1 innings of shutout relief. The senior allowed just two hits and gave up one walk while fanning two. Sophomore Krista Cobb started the game and allowed just one earned run on three hits in 3.2 innings of work. She walked five and struck out one.
UCSB struck first at the top of the third inning when Putich led off with a double to left center field and then moved to third base when Keilani Jennings laid down a sacrifice bunt. A single straight up the middle by Kelly McDonald one out later drove Putich home and put the Gauchos on the scoreboard.
Wisconsin didn’t trail for the long, tying the game at the bottom of the fourth when Shannel Blackshear hit a one-out solo home run over the center field fence.
The Gauchos battled back at the top of the next inning as Jessica Ziegler and Putich led-off with consecutive singles. Jennings followed with what should have been a routine sacrifice bunt, but Wisconsin catcher, Maggie Strange, made a throwing error to first base, allowing Jennings to reach and Ziegler to score. Jessica Beristianos followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that sent Putich across home plate. One out later, Lainey DePompa hit a double to left field scoring Jennings and putting the Gauchos ahead, 4-1. UCSB added another run at the top of the sixth. Tiffany Corder and Jamie Adishian posted back-to-back singles to open the inning. A sac bunt from Ziegler moved both runners over before Putich hit a single to center field, driving Corder home.
The Gauchos capped the game off with a run at the top of the seventh. McDonald and Priscilla Perez each walked and then advanced a base on a wild pitch. With two outs, Corder was able to reach on an error by the second baseman and McDonald came home for the unearned run.
UCSB will continue action at the Gaucho Classic on Saturday with a pair of games. The Gauchos will face North Dakota State at 1 p.m. and Wisconsin at 3:15 p.m.
