LONG BEACH – UCSB battled through 13 innings in an attempt to earn a split in Saturday’s doubleheader at Long Beach State, but the Gauchos fell short, 6-5, after losing 5-0 in the series opener.
With the doubleheader sweep, Long Beach is ensured the series victory over UCSB. This marks the
Gauchos second Big West series loss this year, they had won their last three straight.
UCSB falls to 24-22 on the season and 8-6 in Big West play. Long Beach improves to 32-14
overall and 10-4 in league games.
With two runners on and one out in the bottom of the 13th inning of Saturday’s night cap,
Sarah Carrasco hit an RBI single to right field to send Hannah De Gaetano home for the game-
winning run.
The Gauchos had gained the initial lead way back in the second inning off a two-RBI double
to left field by Amanda Ziegler.
Long Beach cut the Gaucho lead to one run at the bottom of the same inning when Alisha
Rosen singled through the left side. The 49ers then took the advantage in the third inning
with a trio of runs, the first of which was scored off an RBI single to left field by Carrasco. A
wild pitch and a fly out to center field allowed the next two runs to come home and put Long
Beach ahead, 4-2.
UCSB was able to tie the game up in the sixth when Allison Taylor doubled to right center
field scoring Jessica Beristianos and Lainey DePompa.
Despite loading the bases at the bottom of the seventh inning, Long Beach was unable to
break the tie and the game was sent into extra innings.
Pitchers Krista Cobb and Erin Jones-Wesley – who each came in as the third pitcher for their
teams – kept their slates clean during the eighth, ninth and tenth innings.
In the 11th, DePompa earned a walk and then, with two outs, Taylor hit her second double of
the game to center field scoring DePompa and putting UCSB up 5-4. The 49ers were not
down long though as De Gaetano led off with a solo home run to once again knot the game.
It was De Gaetano who got the ball rolling for the 49ers in what proved to be the final inning
as she led off with a walk before moving to third on a double from Caitrin DeBaun, setting the
table for Carrasco’s game-winning heroics.
Krista Cobb (12-11) suffered her second loss of the day after pitching the final 9.1 innings of
the game in which she allowed just two runs off of eight hits while walking two and striking
out four. Andriana Collins started the game and allowed four earned runs on six hits while
walking one and fanning two. Jenny Liepman tossed 2.1 innings and allowed just one hit while
striking out three.
Jones-Wesley (18-5) grabbed her second win of the day after limiting the Gauchos to just one
run and two hits in the final five innings. She walked one and struck out four.
Offensively, Taylor led the Gauchos going 3-for-6 with three RBI, two doubles and a run.
In the first game of the series, Jones-Wesley limited the Gauchos to just five hits in the shutout. She walked five and struck out five.
