CATHEDRAL CITY – UC Santa Barbara (4-11) split its final day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with an 18-10 loss to UNLV and a 6-3 victory over Loyola Marymount.
Emily Brucelas and Shelby Wisdom led the Gauchos with four hits each. Brucelas collected three against the Lady Rebels, while Wisdom delivered the game-sealing two-run home run versus the Lions.
The Gauchos will be back in action next weekend at the Bulldog Classic (Fresno State) starting with Oregon State on Friday.
UNLV
UCSB found itself in an offensive duel in its fourth ballgame of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Facing off against UNLV (6-7), Santa Barbara failed to record its first win in the weekend’s action after a five inning 18-10 loss to the Rebels.
The Gauchos pitching and defense got off to another slow start allowing three Rebel runs in the first inning. With runners on the corners and no outs, UNLV got the early run lead off a fielder’s choice to shortstop. Facing a two out situation with runners on first and second, starting pitcher Ashley Ludlow committed a throwing error to allow the runner score from second base. UNLV kept the inning alive as second baseman Halle Rosario drove a RBI single through the middle. After giving up three runs, two of which were unearned, Ludlow got the Gauchos out of the early jam by forcing a pop fly to left field.
The top of the second produced a flurry of Gaucho runs. Junior Samantha Stark opened the frame with a single to right field. After a sac bunt by senior Shelby Wisdom, UCSB had its runner in scoring position with only one out. The momentum carried as shortstop Emily Brucelas produced a one out double to left field. The Rebels faced its own logjam as third baseman Denjanee Moore reached first due to a hit by pitch. Freshman Jessica Johnston advanced the runners one base and produced the first Gaucho run with a sac-fly to center field. UCSB tied the match off a two out single by Jaqueline Hinojosa.
After an uneventful frame for the Rebels, UCSB got right back to the plate to continue its offensive splurge. Runners on first and second with one out, the Gauchos took a 4-3 lead as Wisdom drove MeShalon Moore home with a double down the left field line. Even though the Rebels rotated in its third pitcher of the match, UCSB hammered in run after run. With a single from Brucelas to bring home the fifth Gaucho score, the Blue and Gold got help from the Rebels defense`. A fielding error by the Rebels’ second baseman proved costly as Wisdom was able to reach home to produce a three run lead. With still one out in the inning, the Gauchos got its final and fourth run of the frame off a Johnston groundout to second base.
The Rebels answered right back in the bottom of the third as Emily Haslinger belted a two-run homer to right center.
Leading 7-5, UCSB produced two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. After a lead off double by Kristen Clark and a fielding error by the Rebels, UCSB scored its eighth run of the match from another fielding error by UNLV. Wisdom produced her second RBI of the match with a single down left field. With one out remaining and bases loaded, UNLV minimized the damage off a double play to close the inning.
Despite a four run lead, the Gauchos could not sustain its performance. After a one out homer, the Rebels strung together singles after singles to eventually put up seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Falling behind three runs, UCSB could only produce a single run in the top of the fifth. Haslinger blasted her second homer of the match to lead off the Rebels scoring in what turned out to be the final inning of the match. With UNLV producing six runs, the Rebels successfully overcame a four run deficit to beat the Gauchos in five innings, 18-10.
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
Home runs from MeShalon Moore and Shelby Wisdom lifted UCSB over Loyola Marymount in a 6-3 win to close the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Sunday.
Moore and Wisom both led the Gauchos with two hits and a pair of RBI each, as they both led the team on a late-game comeback. Together, UCSB recorded 10 hits with eight players getting at least one hit.
In the circle, Alex Pingree came in the bottom of the fourth and tempered the Lion’s offense in holding them hitless and allowing just one walk in her 3.2 innings of work. The junior has now improved her record to 2-1 on the season.
Through the first three innings, LMU was on top 2-1 with UCSB’s lone run coming from a sacrifice fly that sent Emily Brucelas home. The Lions tacked on two more runs in the fourth with a two RBI single up the middle. The scoring play brought Pingree into the game and she promptly got back-to-back outs and kept a runner stranded at third.
Down 3-1 heading into the fifth inning, the Gaucho offense came to life with a three-run effort in taking their first lead of the game. Arianna Palomares scored first after a single from MeShalon Moore sent her to third and a fielding error gave her the chance to reach home plate. Shelby Wisdom then delivered her first home run of the season and gave UCSB the lead. The senior is now just one homer shy of being tied for fourth in the program’s career home runs list.
Not to be left out, Moore cranked a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to ice the win for the Gauchos. The catcher now leads the team with two jacks on the young season.
Pingree closed out the game with a three up, three down bottom of the seventh with a ground out, a pop up, and a punch out.
