Saturday, April 12
Santa Barbara, Calif.
12 p.m.
Long Beach State University
18-17, 8-8
3
at
5
UC Santa Barbara
23-17, 12-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Long Beach State
0
0
1
0
0
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0
3
5
0
UC Santa Barbara
2
0
2
0
1
0
X
5
6
2
First Place Gauchos Hold Off Softball In Doubleheader
4/12/2025 5:15:00 PM | Softball
Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara will finish their series on Sunday.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Long Beach State battled back twice, but came up short in both instances during Saturday's doubleheader at UC Santa Barbara as the Gauchos took a 5-3 and 10-9 win in the first two of three games from Santa Barbara this weekend.
A late rally came up short for Long Beach State (18-18, 8-9 Big West) in the opening game. UC Santa Barbara (24-17, 13-4 Big West) scored the opening runs in the first inning. Eryka Gonzales picked up two quick outs, but a double from Giselle Mejia followed by a two-run home run from Bella Fuentes put the Gauchos on top 2-0 after one.
Long Beach State pulled back a run in the third inning, as Carly Robbins and Selena Perez both reached with no outs, setting the table for the Beach, as a run would come home to score on an overthrow following an infield single from Makayla Medellin. The Gauchos would add two more in the bottom half, with the big hit coming on a two-run single from Ainsley Waddell.
The Gauchos added an insurance run in the fifth, as a leadoff walk would come around to score, putting UCSB in front 5-1. The Beach would battle back in the sixth. Medellin started the rally by getting plunked, and after a walk to Brooklyn Lee, a pinch-hit single from KaLeena Gonzales cut the lead in half at 5-3. Malaya Johnson ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts, and got some help from her defense with a seventh-inning double play to finish the game one win.
KaLeena Gonzales had another big hit to help Long Beach State get going in the second game. Priscilla Iniguez doubled to start the second inning, and after a Corissa Sweet single, another RBI base hit from Gonzales put the Beach on the road. Savannah Magadan pushed both runners into scoring position, a move that paid off as Robbins singled to score both runs, and then scored on an RBI hit from Jacquelyn Bickar to give Long Beach State a 4-0 lead.
UC Santa Barbara was able to answer straight back once again. A hit batter and a walk put two on, and a single from Alexa Sams loaded the bases for the Gauchos with one out. An RBI groundout scored one run for UCSB, and a single from Mendoza made it 4-2. A single from Mejia scored one more, but a strong throw from Bickar, playing left field, cut down the tying run at the plate to end the second inning with the Beach in front 4-3.
The Beach had an answer of their own in the third with another big inning. Brooklyn Lee and Iniguez drew back-to-back walks to start the inning, and the Beach made them pay as Gonzales hit a triple to right center, scoring two. Gonzales then came home to score on a double from Selena Perez to put the Beach in front 7-3.
Home runs from Emily Carr and Jazzy Santos cut the lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the fourth, and another home run from Carr, a three-run shot in the fifth inning gave the Gauchos their first lead at 9-7.
Down to the top of the seventh, Long Beach State mounted a one-out rally. Iniguez got the action started with a single, and another hit from Sweet was followed by an overthrow, putting two in scoring position in front of KaLeena Gonzales. The sophomore delivered again with her sixth and seventh RBI of the day, scoring both runs to tie the game at 9-9.
The Gauchos loaded the bases with one out, and a liner to left field looked promising as Bickar who had made great plays all day in left had an opportunity to get the Beach out of the inning with a double play, but the throw was just wide. UCSB was able to take advantage of that chance, as Perez had to avoid the runner to charge a slow roller and the infield single from Santos led UCSB walk off game two in the bottom of the seventh 10-9.
The series concludes with a final game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
A late rally came up short for Long Beach State (18-18, 8-9 Big West) in the opening game. UC Santa Barbara (24-17, 13-4 Big West) scored the opening runs in the first inning. Eryka Gonzales picked up two quick outs, but a double from Giselle Mejia followed by a two-run home run from Bella Fuentes put the Gauchos on top 2-0 after one.
Long Beach State pulled back a run in the third inning, as Carly Robbins and Selena Perez both reached with no outs, setting the table for the Beach, as a run would come home to score on an overthrow following an infield single from Makayla Medellin. The Gauchos would add two more in the bottom half, with the big hit coming on a two-run single from Ainsley Waddell.
The Gauchos added an insurance run in the fifth, as a leadoff walk would come around to score, putting UCSB in front 5-1. The Beach would battle back in the sixth. Medellin started the rally by getting plunked, and after a walk to Brooklyn Lee, a pinch-hit single from KaLeena Gonzales cut the lead in half at 5-3. Malaya Johnson ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts, and got some help from her defense with a seventh-inning double play to finish the game one win.
KaLeena Gonzales had another big hit to help Long Beach State get going in the second game. Priscilla Iniguez doubled to start the second inning, and after a Corissa Sweet single, another RBI base hit from Gonzales put the Beach on the road. Savannah Magadan pushed both runners into scoring position, a move that paid off as Robbins singled to score both runs, and then scored on an RBI hit from Jacquelyn Bickar to give Long Beach State a 4-0 lead.
UC Santa Barbara was able to answer straight back once again. A hit batter and a walk put two on, and a single from Alexa Sams loaded the bases for the Gauchos with one out. An RBI groundout scored one run for UCSB, and a single from Mendoza made it 4-2. A single from Mejia scored one more, but a strong throw from Bickar, playing left field, cut down the tying run at the plate to end the second inning with the Beach in front 4-3.
The Beach had an answer of their own in the third with another big inning. Brooklyn Lee and Iniguez drew back-to-back walks to start the inning, and the Beach made them pay as Gonzales hit a triple to right center, scoring two. Gonzales then came home to score on a double from Selena Perez to put the Beach in front 7-3.
Home runs from Emily Carr and Jazzy Santos cut the lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the fourth, and another home run from Carr, a three-run shot in the fifth inning gave the Gauchos their first lead at 9-7.
Down to the top of the seventh, Long Beach State mounted a one-out rally. Iniguez got the action started with a single, and another hit from Sweet was followed by an overthrow, putting two in scoring position in front of KaLeena Gonzales. The sophomore delivered again with her sixth and seventh RBI of the day, scoring both runs to tie the game at 9-9.
The Gauchos loaded the bases with one out, and a liner to left field looked promising as Bickar who had made great plays all day in left had an opportunity to get the Beach out of the inning with a double play, but the throw was just wide. UCSB was able to take advantage of that chance, as Perez had to avoid the runner to charge a slow roller and the infield single from Santos led UCSB walk off game two in the bottom of the seventh 10-9.
The series concludes with a final game on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Malaya Johnson (14-6)
L: Gonzales, Eryka (3-3)
Batting:
RBI: Gonzales, KaLeena 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bickar, Jacquelyn 1 ; Medellin, Makayla 1 ; Lee, Brooklyn 1
CS: Estrada, Erica 1
HBP: Medellin, Makayla 1
Batting:
2B: Giselle Mejia 2 ; Emily Carr 1
HR: Bella Fuentes 1
RBI: Alexa Sams 1 ; Bella Fuentes 2 ; Ainsley Waddell 2
SH: Tehya Banks 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jazzy Santos 1 ; Giselle Mejia 2 ; Bella Fuentes 1 ; Tehya Banks 1
HBP: Daryn Siegel 1 ; Tehya Banks 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
2b/lf
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
ph/2b
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF
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