The UC Santa Barbara Softball team sent their five seniors off smiling with a 12-8 win to cap off the 2024 season.
With the win, the Gauchos finished the season with a 20-28 overall record and a 14-13 Big West record.
The Gauchos were trailing 1-0 in the first inning when they first put runs on the board.
UC Santa Barbara scored three runs in the bottom half of the opening frame, highlighted by a two-RBI double of the bat of Alexa Sams.
After the Matadors rallied to tie the ballgame at three, the Gauchos came back to retake the lead in the third inning.
The Gaucho offense exploded for six runs, highlighted by an RBI-single off the bat of senior Madelyn McNally, which brought the score to 9-3 in favor of the Gauchos.
Northridge narrowed UC Santa Barbara’s lead to 9-8 before the Gauchos stretched the advantage to 10-8 in the fifth inning.
The Gauchos picked up a run on Elicia Acosta’s leadoff home run off sophomore Lauryn Carranco.
Santa Barbara kept the Matadors scoreless before their offense got back in action the next inning. The Gauchos sent in two runs in the frame, punctuated with an RBI triple off the bat of Sams, bringing the UC Santa Barbara advantage to 12-8.
The score remained 12-8 for the rest of the game, as the Gauchos coasted to the win.
Sophomore Malaya Johnson (6-7) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for the Gauchos. The right-hander went 3.2 shutout innings while giving up five hits and striking out two.
Waddell’s two extra base hits were the highlight of a 2-for-3 day, and included two doubles and two RBI. Sams made her contribution with a double, a triple and four RBI, part of a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.
Junior Elicia Acosta also helped out for the Gauchos, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a home run and two RBI.
With the win the Gauchos posted a winning conference record for the first time since 2017. Also with the win it marks their first back-to-back 20+ win seasons since 2017 and 2018.