The UCSB softball team couldn’t do much against UC San Diego freshman pitcher Jada Cecil in a 5-1 loss to the Tritons Friday at Campus Diamond.
Cecil, now 10-1 on the year, gave up just two hits and no runs, striking out seven, in six innings.
Once she gave way to reliever Shelby Thompson, the Gauchos got on the board in the bottom of the seventh, with a single and a stolen base from DH Lexy Mills and and an RBI single from Ashley Donaldson.
That was after UCSB junior reliever Ilona Sullivan struck out the only three batters she faced in the top of the seventh, the only inning she pitched.
UCSD’s Clarissa Reynoso opened the scoring with a two-RBI single down the left field line against Gaucho starter Camryn Snyder. Snyder, 7-9, went three innings, giving up four hits and four runs. Reliever Shelby Thompson gave up two hits and a run in three innings for the Gauchos.
The Tritons’ Cecil was the Southwestern League pitcher of the year for Temecula High School last year.
UCSB, now 9-20 overall, hosts a doubleheader Friday with the Tritons, beginning at 1 p.m.