SAN DIEGO – UCSB (1-9) came back from an early deficit against Notre Dame (1-3) on Saturday evening, but the rally fell short as the Gauchos suffered a 6-4 loss on the second day of the Campbell/Cartier Classic, which is being hosted by San Diego and San Diego State.
The loss to the Fighting Irish came on the heels of a 9-0 mercy loss to No. 9 Washington (8-0) earlier in the day.
During the second game, Notre Dame got on the scoreboard at the bottom of the first when Amy Buntin drove home Alexa Maldonado with an RBI double to right center field.
The Gauchos responded at the top of the next inning by loading the bases on a pair of walks and a single by Kathryn Pilpil. Lainey DePompa hit a sacrifice fly to right field, driving home DeJanee Moore and tying the game at one apiece.
Notre Dame broke the tie with a big third inning. The Irish loaded the bases with no outs following consecutive singles and a walk. A single hit up the middle by Buntin drove home two runs before a base hit to right field off the bat of Dani Miller tallied two more.
UCSB battled back at the top of the fourth. Pilpil and DePompa each reached on walks before McKenzie Kane hit a two-out single to left field. Pilpil came home on the play due to a fielding error in left field and DePompa and Kane each advanced to scoring position. A throwing error by the pitcher during the following play gave the twosome ample time to come home, cutting the Gaucho deficit to one run at 5-4.
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the sixth when Notre Dame added an insurance run off of an RBI double from Maldonado. The Irish took the win, 6-4.
Pilpil led the Gauchos offensively going 2-for-2 with a run and a walk. In the circle, Andriana Collins (0-6) suffered the loss after tossing the first two innings and allowing five earned runs on six hits. She walked one. Shelby Wisdom closed the game and contained Notre Dame to just one run on three hits during four innings of work. She struck out five.
Earlier in the day, UCSB fell victim to a powerful Washington team. Jessica Soria’s leadoff single to center field marked the lone Gaucho hit during the game. Wisdom drew a walk in the fourth and a pitch hit Lauren Boser in the fifth, which accounted for UCSB’s only base runners during the game.
Kimi Pohlman and Nikia Williams each went 3-for-3 to help lead Washington as they posted three runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Williams had two RBI, a double and a triple while Kaitlin Inglesby went 1-for-2 with three RBI and a double.
Husky pitcher Kasey Stanchek tossed the five-inning one hitter and struck out four.
Collins suffered the loss for the Gauchos after allowing three runs off of four hits in the first inning. Wisdom closed the game and allowed six runs off of nine hits. She walked one and fanned three.
UCSB will close the Campbell/Cartier Classic against UCLA on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
