CATHEDRAL CITY – Despite big hits from MeShalon Moore and Arianna Palomares, UCSB dropped its first game of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic to BYU 16-4.
The Gauchos are now 3-8 on the season, while the Cougars improve to 7-5.
Palomares continues to rack up the doubles on the young season, as she led UCSB with a pair of two-base hits in going 2-4 at the plate. She has now extended her league-leading total to seven doubles.
MeShalon Moore had UCSB’s impressive hit of the game when she uncorked a two-run shot in the bottom of the third. The catcher now has the second-most extra base hits on the team with five.
In the circle, Ashley Ludlow was credited with the loss after her four innings of work. For the Cougars, McKenna Bull picked up the win in tossing 3.2 shutout innings.
BYU opened the game with three runs, as the Gauchos struggled through multiple errors. However, Palomares offered a response for UCSB with her first double of the day to drive in Kristen Clark to make the score 3-1. Clark opened the inning with an infield single and advanced to second base thanks to a wild pitch. Palomares then took care of the rest with a shot delivered to right center to put the Gauchos on the board.
Following the Cougars scoring their fourth run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third, UCSB went on to tie the game in a two-out rally a half inning later.
After BYU recorded a double play, Emily Brucelas approached the batter’s box with Jacqueline Hinojosa and MeShalon Moore on deck. She got the rally started with a single poked into left field, making the score 4-2.
In the following at-bat, Moore came up with her first home run of the season over left center to tie the game. She is now the fourth Gaucho this season so far to hit homer.
The game would remain gridlocked at 4-4 until the top of the fifth when the Cougars hit of a home run of their own, which highlighted a five-run scoring effort. BYU continued with the momentum on offense with a six-run seventh inning to officially take hold of what would be the final score of 16-4.
The Gauchos will continue tournament play tomorrow afternoon when they will face Utah at 3:30 p.m.
