LOS ANGELES – Fresh off a 3-2 win over Arizona State on Friday night, the San Diego State softball team was one win from the Final of the Los Angeles Regional on Saturday. SDSU started the day with an early afternoon game against the host, No. 9/9 UCLA. The Aztecs were blanked in a 10-0 game that ended in six innings after the Bruins scored six runs in the top of the sixth. After a break, San Diego State battled UC Santa Barbara for a chance to face the Bruins on Sunday. After a back-and-forth game, the Aztecs were down to their last strike before Shannon Cunningham hit an RBI single to tie the game at five and keep SDSU’s season alive. It only lasted another inning as the Gauchos scored twice in the eighth and shut the Aztecs out to finish the game with a 7-5 score.
The first game started four minutes early with UCLA (51-10)’s offense also getting going early. The Bruins went up 3-0 before the scheduled first pitch time. Jessica Clements doubled down the left field line. Savannah Pola bunted for a single and advanced to second base. The third hitter, Jordan Woolery hit a high fly ball to deep center field. Julie Holcomb tracked it to the wall and leaped, nearly making a sensational catch, but was ultimately unable to bring the ball back. Starting pitcher Cece Cellura settled down from there, retiring the next three hitters to end the inning. Julie Holcomb had the first hit for San Diego State (38-19) on a high hopper back to the circle in the bottom of the frame.
Cellura bounced back with a 1-2-3 inning in the second, which she finished with a strikeout of UCLA’s starting pitcher, Kaitlyn Terry.
The Bruins threatened in the third inning with a single and a walk, but Cellura worked her way out of trouble to keep the Aztecs within three runs. In the bottom of the frame, Cunningham led off. She battled her way to earn a walk on the tenth pitch of her at bat. Two batters later, Bella Espinoza reached on an infield single to bring the tying run to the plate. Cali Decker reached on an error by shortstop Kaniya Bragg to load the bases with two outs. Terry worked out of it, but the Aztecs made her throw 35 pitches in the inning after Terry threw 14 across the first two innings.
Dee Dee Hernandez entered the circle for the Aztecs in the fourth. After a leadoff single, she induced a lineout and a double play to end the inning.
UCLA added on to its lead in the fifth inning. After a pair of singles began the inning, Hernandez coaxed another double play, leaving a runner on third with two outs. This time, she was unable to work her way out of the inning without a run as Woolery came through again, this time with an RBI triple to right field. Hernandez bounced back with a strikeout to end the inning and strand Woolery at third base.
In the top of the sixth, UCLA’s leadoff hitter reached on an error. A Rylee Slimp double put two runners in scoring position. Bragg followed her with a two-run double to bring the score to 6-0. After the next batter was hit, Terry singled to right, scoring the runner from second base. Ava Schaffel entered the game, making her postseason debut. She loaded the bases with a walk before Cunningham threw home for the force out on a ground ball. The Bruins increased their lead to eight runs with a sacrifice fly before a triple off the top of the center field wall scored two more runs. Schaffel finally ended the inning with a flyout. The Aztecs went down in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Four hours and 50 minutes after the conclusion of their game against UCLA, the Aztecs began their elimination game against UC Santa Barbara (36-25). Cellura opened her night with a strikeout before the Gauchos loaded the bases on a walk, a single and a hit by pitch. Bella Fuentes gave UCSB an early lead with a two-run single to right. Cellura induced a groundout and a flyout to end the inning without any more damage. Espinoza and Holcomb led off the bottom of the inning with infield singles, but the Aztecs weren’t able to bring either runner home.
Cellura bounced back by pitching perfect innings in both the second and third innings to keep the Aztecs within striking distance. In the bottom of the third, Espinoza and Holcomb led off with singles once again, this time both going up the middle, to put two runners on for Decker. She launched a three-run homer to left center to give the Aztecs a 3-2 lead. SDSU threatened to add on when Gabriella Terrones walked and Waiki singled. However, UCSB’s Malaya Johnson worked her way out of it.
Uribe entered the circle in the fourth and sat down the side in order. Jazmin Williams led off in the bottom of the inning with a double off the wall in center field. Espinoza bunted her over and beat the throw to first base before noticing second base was not covered and hustling into scoring position. Two hitters later, Williams crossed the plate on a Decker groundout to provide an important insurance run for San Diego State.
In the top of the fifth, the first two Gauchos walked before Jazzy Santos put UC Santa Barbara back on top with a three-run homer deep to left field. Cellura came back into the game and after allowing a single, got a fielder’s choice and struck out Alexa Sams and Bella Fuentes to end the inning. Terrones walked once more and Cunningham singled, but nothing came of it.
Cellura allowed a pair of singles in the sixth but was able to get two straight groundouts to end the inning.
The Gauchos started the seventh with a single. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position. Cellura got a lineout and a strikeout to strand her there. Down to the final three outs of their season, the Aztecs rallied. Terrones singled to left and moved into scoring position on an error by Sams, the left fielder. Jayleen Hernandez ran for her and advanced to third base on a flyout off the bat of Jade Ignacio. Down to her last strike, Cunningham punched a single to center to score Hernandez and tie the game.
UCSB’s Elicia Acosta led off with a homer down the right field line in the eighth inning. After a double, Cellura struck the next two hitters out swinging. The Gauchos added a second run to their lead on a single up the middle by Santos. After hitting the next batter, Cellura induced an inning-ending groundout. In the bottom of the inning, Espinoza appeared to start a rally with a leadoff infield single but the safe call at first base was overturned after review. Holcomb followed her with a single to bring the tying run to the plate, but Johnson retired the next two hitters to end the game and the Aztecs’ season.
THE NOTE
San Diego State falls to 14-14 all-time in NCAA Tournament games played at UCLA’s Easton Stadium.
THE NOTE II
Gabriella Terrones made the first start of her collegiate career after coming off the bench in her first 22 games.
UCLA 10, San Diego State 0
UCLA (51-10) 300 016 – 10 12 1
San Diego State (38-18) 000 000 – 0 2 2
W – Terry, 18-4; L – Cellura, 19-8
HR: Woolery, UCLA (21)
UC Santa Barbara 7, San Diego State 5
UC Santa Barbara (36-25) 200 030 02 – 7 10 1
San Diego State (38-19) 003 100 10 – 5 13 0
W – Johnson, 24-11; L – Cellura, 19-9
HR: Santos, UCSB (5); Decker, SDSU (5); Acosta, UCSB (4)