UCSB softball was unable to snap its five-game losing streak yesterday, dropping both games in a doubleheader to #7 UCLA by scores of 12-2 and 10-4 at Easton Stadium.

[media-credit name=”Lance Chu” align=”alignright” width=”197″][/media-credit]The Gauchos have now lost nine of their last 10 and fall to 12-16 on the season, while the defending champion Bruins improve to 23-5.

The long ball proved difficult for the Gauchos to handle, as UCLA tallied six home runs over the course of the two games, helping to score 15 of their 22 runs.

In the second game, UCSB shook off the loss to come out strong, scoring three runs in the first inning, one more than the team’s total in the first game. With freshman second baseman Katherine Pilpil and junior right fielder Allison Taylor on base, singles by sophomore shortstop Keilani Jennings and freshman designated hitter Kendall Gill put the Gauchos on the board. Freshman first baseman Lauren Boser proceeded to ground out, but not before Jennings was able to make it home.

Before yesterday, UCSB was 10-2 when scoring first. But the streak was not to continue, as UCLA broke away with a double and home runs from sophomore right fielder B.B. Bates and senior first baseman Monica Harrison, respectively in the bottom of the fourth.

Senior third baseman Jessica Beristianos responded with a home run of her own for UCSB in the sixth inning, but the Gauchos failed to close the gap any further, eventually falling 10-4.

In the first game of the afternoon, the Bruins came out firing, scoring four runs in the first inning due to a grand slam by junior catcher Dani Yudin.

Another home run in the third gave UCLA a comfortable 7-0 lead, but they weren’t finished, tallying five more runs in the fourth inning and putting the mercy rule into play.

UCLA’s freshman pitcher Jessica Hall had seven strikeouts on the day, but the Gauchos avoided the shutout, mustering in a run in each of the final two innings. In the fourth, Pilpil reached home on a wild pitch. In the fifth, junior catcher Lainey Depompa was walked and then scored after a UCLA error and a single from freshman centerfielder McKenzie Kane.

The Gauchos return home this weekend to begin Big West Conference play against Cal State Fullerton before playing two nonconference games against South Dakota on Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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