RIVERSIDE — UCSB Softball kicked off the weekend Friday at Cal Baptist’s Lancer Invitational with games against Wagner College and the hosting Lancers, finishing the day 1-1. The Gauchos earned a shutout win over the Seahawks, but dropped their game against host Cal Baptist.
GAME 1: UCSB 5, Wagner College 0
The Gauchos got off to a great start in their opening game, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to Daryn Siegel’s bases-loaded walk and Bella Fuentes’ sacrifice fly. Malaya Johnson had a great day in the circle, scattering four hits and just one walk across a full seven innings of work. She struck out five Seahawks en route to her first collegiate shutout.
With Johnson dealing, the Gauchos’ three runs in the fourth made UCSB’s lead essentially insurmountable. Madelyn McNally drove two of those runs home herself with a double, then came home herself on a Wagner error to make it 5-0. McNally’s was one of three Gaucho doubles in the game, with Makayla Newsom and Sam Denehy also getting in on the extra-base fun.
GAME 2: Cal Baptist 3, UCSB 1
UCSB’s second game of the day was a close one against the home team, decided in the middle innings. Cal Baptist scored solitary runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, which proved to be enough. Siegel drove in the Gauchos’ lone run with a fourth-inning single. UCSB put together the beginnings of a rally in the seventh, as Hannah Damore led off the frame with a hit, but a double play spoiled the comeback.
UCSB, now 8-6, will see both of these teams again on Saturday for the second day of the Lancer Invite. The Gauchos and Seahawks face off at noon, with UCSB’s rematch with Cal Baptist set for 2:30 p.m.
Men’s Volleyball: UCSB 3, UC San Diego 1
The UCSB men’s volleyball team won its Big West opener over UC San Diego 3-1 at Rob Gym Friday, on set scores of 20-25, 25-22, 28-26, 25-22.
Redshirt freshman Owen Birg, from Thousand Oaks, ended his Big West debut with 22 kills while also registering eight digs and four blocks.
Middle blocker Sam Meister, a redshirt freshman from Santa Barbara, finished the match game hitting .400, registering four kills with only two errors on 10 swings. He also led the team’s front row defensive efforts, putting up seven blocks on the night, including one solo block.
Max Gordon and Ryan Wilcox tied with Birg for most digs, with eight apiece.
The Gauchos host fourth-ranked Long Beach State in a Big West matchup on Friday, March 10. First serve will be at 7 p.m. with a live stream available through ESPN+.
Women’s Water Polo: UCSB 13, Pomona-Pitzer 5; UCSB 20, Cal State Monterey Bay 3
CLAREMONT – The 10-ranked UCSB women’s water polo team played two matches at the Convergence Tournament, scoring 33 combined goals for wins over 24th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer and Cal State Monterey Bay.
UCSB 13, No. 24 Pomona-Pitzer 5
Caitlyn Snyder, Drew Halvorson and Cami Mras scored two goals each to lead the Gauchos in the win. The first half ended with UCSB up just 6-5, before the team shut out the Sagehens 7-0 in the second half.
UCSB 20 , Cal State Monterey Bay 3
Leigh Lyter led the Gauchos with four goals, and Juju Amaral and Snyder added three goals apiece.
The Gauchos, now 14-5, hit the road again Saturday to meet sixth-ranked UC Irvine in their first Big West matchup of the season, starting at noon at the Anteater Aquatics Complex.
Women’s Tennis: Oklahoma State 5, UCSB 2
Facing their sixth ranked opponent of the season while shorthanded, the UCSB women earned a pair of hard-fought wins against No. 35 Oklahoma State, but ultimately fell, 5-2, Friday afternoon.
Amelia Honer and Kira Reuter picked up another win on the top doubles court, and Honer and Camille Kiss earned singles wins on courts one and two.
The Gauchos were down one player, meaning the Cowgirls took the third doubles court and sixth singles court by default. Despite Amelia Honer and Kira Reuter continuing their tremendous season as UCSB’s number one doubles pairing with a 6-1 win, Oklahoma State took the point for the doubles matches and upon the start of the singles matches, the Cowgirls had two points over the Gauchos.
In singles, Honer and Camille Kiss secured victories on the top two courts, but Oklahoma State won the other three. On court one, Honer won her first set in a tiebreaker, then rolled through the second set for a well-earned sweep. On court two, Kiss bounced back from a close first-set loss to win for a second match in a row.
The Gauchos, now 1-9 overall and 1-0 in Big West play, host Loyola Marymount at the Arnhold Tennis Center on Sunday.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. #13 Honer/Reuter (UCSB) def. Wolfberg/Rojas (OSU), 6-1
2. Miyamoto/Gonzalez (OSU) def. Kiss/Gonzalez Ballbe (UCSB), 6-1
3. Zerulo/Peyre (OSU) def. No Player/No Player (UCSB), by default
Singles
1. #67 Amelia Honer (UCSB) def. #107 Alana Wolfberg (OSU) 7-6, 6-1
2. Camille Kiss (UCSB) def. Martina Zerulo (OSU) 5-7, 6-4, 10-5
3. Lucia Peyre (OSU) def. Kira Reuter (UCSB) 6-1, 6-0
4. #118 Sofia Rojas (OSU) def. Valentina Khrebtova (UCSB), 6-3, 6-1
5. Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) def. Marta Gonzalez Ballbe (UCSB), 6-1, 6-0
6. Raquel Gonzalez (OSU) def. No Player (UCSB), by default