It is a new week for the UCSB softball team, but unfortunately last week’s offensive struggles have carried over as Santa Barbara dropped its first two games at the Gaucho Classic on Thursday at Campus Diamond. The Gauchos (4-9) fell to Drexel (2-4) by way of 4-2 score before being shutout by North Dakota State (7-5), 2-0, in the second game of their doubleheader.
Drexel opened the scoring in the first game of the tournament as Paige Collings hit a two-out solo home run over the left field fence to give the Dragons an early advantage.
The Gauchos tied things up in the second when sophomore Lainey DePompa hit her own solo homer over the center field fence, but the Dragons did not trail for long.
At the top of the third, Hanna Parrish hit a single to second and then stole second base. Rachel Campbell then reached first when the Gauchos made a throwing error while fielding her sacrifice bunt to put two runners on with no outs. One steal by Campbell and one out later, Ashley Bothelo was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Another Gaucho error ensued during Hillary Allen’s at-bat and Parrish was able come home for the unearned run. UCSB pitcher Lindsey Correa took down the next two batters in order as the Dragons left three base runners stranded.
The next inning, Campbell hit an RBI single to left field driving Devon Metcalf home and putting the Dragons up 3-1.
The Gauchos scored again at the bottom of the sixth when Brooke Putich hit a two-out RBI single to left field driving Jessica Beristianos home and cutting the Drexel lead to just one run.
Bachmann scored one more, unearned, run for Drexel at the top of the seventh when Laura Stagliano grounded out to second base, giving the Dragons the final lead of 4-2.
Correa (1-3) tossed the complete game allowing just two earned runs on seven hits. She struck out three and did not give up a single walk. Putich led the team at the plate going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
In the second game of the day, North Dakota State’s Whitney Johnson pitched a complete game one-hitter walking four and striking out 13, leading the Bison to the shutout victory.
North Dakota State scored both of its runs on a two-run homer hit by Taylor Mortensen over the left center field fence at the bottom of the fourth. Mortenson went 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a stolen base in the win.
Despite suffering the loss, UCSB pitcher MeLinda Matsumoto (2-3) had a strong showing in the circle. The senior allowed just two earned runs on five hits while walking just one and striking out four.
Senior Jessica Ziegler had the lone Gaucho hit of the game, a one-out single hit perfectly to the gap between the Bison left fielder and shortstop.
The Gauchos will look to snap their eight-game losing skid on Friday as they continue action at the Gaucho Classic. UCSB will take-on Wisconsin at 8:30 a.m. for the first game of the day.
