UC Santa Barbara’s softball comeback kids are at it again in the Big West Tournament.
The Gauchos won their seventh and eighth straight elimination games dating back to last season to reach the championship. They defeated Long Beach, 13-10, and Hawai’i, 8-6, on Friday to book a spot in the finals against host Cal State Fullerton.
UCSB must beat the Titans twice on Saturday to claim the title and the automatic NCAA Tournament berth. The first game is at 1 p.m.
Last season, the Gauchos won six straight elimination games and captured the Big West Tournament title.
UCSB 13, Long Beach St. 10
After the Beach tagged the Gauchos for two runs in the top of the first, they responded with seven. Dani Rauscher hit a single and Tehya Banks followed with a RBI double. Ella Myers smacked a two-run homer. Additional scoring plays included RBI singles by Bella Fuentes and Ainsley Waddell.
In the second inning, Giselle Mejia made it 8-2, scoring an unearned run on a throwing error after reaching third base. The Beach added a run of their own and after two innings.
The Beach cut the Gaucho lead to two after a three-run home run in the third. They added a run in the top of the fourth to pull within one, 8-7.
But UCSB kept piling up the runs as Ainsley Waddell belted a three-run homer, bringing the score to 11-7.
In the sixth inning, Fuentes doubled to score Mejia and Ma’ae’s followed with a RBI single, extending the Gaucho lead to 13-8.
The Beach did not go away easily in the seventh, plating two runs and bringing the tying run to the plate. Reliever Sophie Clark and the Gaucho defense held strong, though, and finished the game.
UCSB 8, Hawai’i 6
The Gauchos wasted no time getting started. Mejia drove in Banks on an double and later scored on an Emily Carr single for an early 2-0 lead.
Hawai’i answered with three runs in the second inning, but the Gauchos reclaimed the lead in the third.
Banks continued to fire up the Gaucho offense at the top of the lineup, totaling two hits and scoring three runs. Carr drove in Banks with an RBI single before Fuentes hit a three-run home run to extend the lead to 6-3 in the third inning.
Clark started the game against Hawai’i and gave the Gauchos two solid innings of work. Malaya Johnson earned the victory in relief, tossing the final five innings and striking out six batters.
