FULLERTON – In a game that featured 18 runs and three grand slams, UC Santa Barbara fell short in the series rubber game with Cal State Fullerton, as the Titans outpaced the Gauchos on offense with an 11-7 victory. It was the highest scoring game the Gauchos have played in this season.
UCSB moves to 21-12 overall and starts off 1-2 in conference play. Cal State Fullerton improves to 21-13-1 and is 2-1 in the Big West.
While Lauren Boser and DeJanee Moore led Santa Barbara with two hits each, it was Stacy Cavazos who made the team’s biggest impact on the scoreboard with her first career grand slam.
The freshman found the big hit during the Gauchos’ five-run third inning. Following a pair of singles, Emily Brucelas and DeJanee Moore both drew walks to put give UCSB a run and to load the bases for Cavazos.
With the scored tied at 1-1, Cavazos put UCSB ahead in a big way with her deep shot soaring over center field. It was her fourth bomb of the season, which ties her with Boser and Brucelas for the team-high.
Carrying the 6-1 advantage heading to the bottom of the third, UCSB saw Fullerton follow up the Gauchos’ five-run effort with six of their own.
Wisdom recorded the first two outs through the three batters with a strikeout and a popup to short, but the Titans put a runner in scoring position after a Lauren Mario single advanced Gabby Aragon to second base.
The ensuing at-bat was a double to left center for Fullerton’s first RBI of the inning. After a walk to load the bases, the Titans hit another single to move within three runs of UCSB. Missy Taukeiaho then cleared the bases with the game’s second grand slam and gave her team the lead at 7-6.
Samantha Stark kept the scoring going with an RBI single hit to right center. To start the inning, Wisdom hit a single to left field. MeShalon Moore then took a hit by pitch, while Boser hit an infield single to load the bases. Stark did the rest with her game-tying base knock before a pair of groundout and a double play ended the inning.
Wisdom kept the Titans’ offense quiet through the fourth and fifth innings, as she forced them to go three up, three down in both. She picked up two punchouts in that span, adding to her total of five.
With the score still tied 7-7, the Titans sealed their win with Samantha Galarza’s grand slam, the third of the contest.
Next week, the Gauchos will take a road trip to Oregon before hosting Cal Poly in their first home series of the conference schedule starting on Saturday.
