TUCSON, Ariz. – On the second consecutive day UC Santa Barbara was unable to get a runner home and they were shutout 9-0 against Arizona on Sunday afternoon. Arizona used a seven-run third inning to bury the Gauchos and force a mercy rule finish in the fifth inning.
The Wildcats improve their record to 26-13, while UCSB falls to 21-15.
The Gauchos were only able to muster three hits in the game, all of them doubles. Keilani Jennings had two of them as she finished a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate while Arianna Palomares picked up the other double finishing 1-for-2.
With the game tied 0-0 heading into the bottom of the third, Shelby Wisdom hit Arizona’s leadoff batter. After retiring the next two batters, the Wildcats recorded back-to-back-to-back singles bringing the score to 3-0. After another walk and an error to load the bases, Mandie Perez hit a Grand Slam to blow the game wide open making the score 7-0.
UCSB looked to have a two-out rally of their own in the top of the fourth inning to answer back. Wisdom drew a walk and Jennings lined a double to right center advancing Wisdom to third. With both runners in scoring position, Jessica Reichner was unable to pick them up and struckout.
That was the closest the Gauchos got to scoring a run all day as Arizona’s Shelby Babcock (13-5) was dominant in the circle. She pitched four shutout innings only allowing three hits, one walk and recorded three strikeouts.
Arizona wasn’t finished scoring and they piled up two more runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth brining the score to its final of 9-0.
Wisdom struggled in the circle for UCSB allowing 10 hits, nine runs, three walks while striking out three in four innings. She falls to 10-9 on the season.
The loss marks the 14th straight to Arizona and UCSB hasn’t won in the series since the 1982 season.
The Gauchos will continue on the road when they take on Cal Poly this Wednesday, Apr. 10 at 3pm.
