The UC Santa Barbara softball team snapped a three-game losing streak with a doubleheader sweep of Cal State Northridge on Saturday, winning 4-3 and 9-0.
Strong pitching performances by Sophia Clark and Malaya Johnson along with early offensive production in both games contributed to the victories.
In the opening game,UCSB took an early lead with three runs in the first inning. After Dani Rauscher reached on a walk and Tehya Banks singled, Emily Carr delivered a double that drove in two runs. Carr later scored on a single by Delaina Ma’ae, giving the Gauchos a 3-0 advantage.
Cal State Northridge tied the game in the fourth inning with three runs, aided in part by a sloppy UCSB defense. Prior to that inning, pitcher Sophia Clark had retired the first 10 batters she faced. The Gauchos regained the lead later in the inning when Bella Fuentes scored on a groundout by Mejia, making it 4-3. UCSB held the Matadors scoreless over the final three innings to secure the win.
Clark pitched a complete game, allowing three runs, one of them earned, and recording three strikeouts.
In the second game, UCSB won 9-0 in a five-inning run-rule victory. The Gauchos collected 13 hits, including home runs from Tehya Banks and Ella Myers.
Banks opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning. In the second, Myers added a two-run homer as the Gauchos extended the lead to 4-0. UCSB continued to build its lead adding three runs in the third and two runs in the fourth inning, to pull away. Pitcher Malaya Johnson threw a complete-game shutout, allowing two hits and striking out six over five innings.
Four Gauchos recorded multiple hits in the second game, including Rauscher, Banks, Myers and Fuentes.
UCSB (25-20 overall, 15-5 Big West) will conclude its three-game series against the Matadors on Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m.
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