LONG BEACH – Long Beach State’s Christina Schallig hit a walk off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the 49ers to a 3-2 win and a Big West series sweep over UCSB on Sunday at the 49er Softball Complex.
The game marked the second of the series to go into extra innings as Saturday’s night cap extended into 13 before Long Beach clinched the 5-4 victory.
With the loss, UCSB falls to 24-23 overall and 8-7 in the Big West. Long Beach improves to 33-14 and 11-4 in league play, tying Pacific for first place in the conference standings. The Gauchos are now in fourth place, two games behind third-place Cal State Fullerton (10-5).
Long Beach jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the first inning on four hits. Hannah De Gaetano opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a throwing error by pitcher Krista Cobb on a Caitrin DeBaun comebacker. Emily Gregorio pinch ran for De Gaetano at second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Nalani St. Germain scored her on a sacrifice fly to left field with DeBaun moving to third on a throw to the plate. Sarah Carrasco singled to right center scoring DeBaun to make it 2-0.
A pair of base hits followed, loading the bases with one out, but Cobb was able to put a squash to the 49er onslaught with a pop up to Kathryn Pilpil at second and a foul out to catcher Lainey DePompa.
UCSB cut the lead to one at the top of the second inning. Lauren Boser led off with a walk and was bunted over by Kelly McDonald’s sacrifice. An RBI double down the left field line by Brooke Putich scored Boser from second base.
In the fourth, Boser once again led things off, this time with a single to right field. McDonald followed with a single of her own to push Boser to second. Two outs later, Pilpil singled to left center driving Boser home and tying the game at two apiece.
Long Beach pitcher Erin Jones-Wesley and Cobb battled over the next three innings without either team scoring. Jones-Wesley allowed just three runners the rest of the way and Cobb left four stranded before allowing Schallig’s home run.
Both teams stranded nine runners with LBSU leaving six total in scoring position and UCSB leaving five.
Putich led the Gauchos with her two hits in the loss.
