HONOLULU, Hawai'i –Â
Jada Cecil held the Rainbow Wahine to a single run to help UC San Diego defeat Hawai'i in the Friday night series opener, 4-1.
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Tossing her sixth complete game,
Jada Cecil fanned eight Rainbow Wahine allowing two hits and one run. The sophomore dealt 55 strikes over 96 pitches as she earned her sixth win of the season.
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At the plate, the Tritons racked up nine hits over the game with
Marissa Hassis going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Deena Pederson added her support as she went 2-for-4.
Alexa DeMarse went 1-for-2 and batted in three runs when she cracked a home run over left center in the fifth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tossing a shutout until the fourth inning,
Jada Cecil held the Wahine to one run on two hits over seven innings by fanning eight batters and forcing 10 flyouts with three ground outs.
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After having a runner on in each inning, UC San Diego finally scored in the top of the fifth after
Hailey Mulligan reached first on a wild pitch after a dropped third strike. On a sac bunt,
Morgan Eng reached on a Hawai'i error. As the errant ball rolled down the first baseline, Mulligan made it home to score and in a collision at home plate, Eng was ruled out as she went around all four bases.
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With the score tied at 1-1, Cecil retired the Wahine in order in the bottom of the fifth. The Tritons took the lead for the first time in the top of the sixth.
Clarissa Reynoso got the inning started with a single to left center just over the infield. Swinging at the first pitch,
Marissa Hassis advanced Reynoso as she laced a single up the middle to reach.
Mariah Melendez came in to pinch run for Reynoso at second. On a 1-1 count,
Alexa DeMarse powered a no-doubter over the left center fence to clear the bases and take the lead at 4-1.
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As the Wahine looked to respond, Cecil finished the final two innings by retiring them in order with five flyouts and clinched the win with a strikeout in the final at bat.
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TRITON TIDBITS
- Going 1-for-2 with a hit by pitch, Alexa DeMarse hit her first home run of her collegiate career.
- Jada Cecil earned her sixth win tonight as she tossed her sixth complete game of the season.
- After tossing eight strikeouts, Jada Cecil is second in the Big West for strikeouts at 94 overall and leads the Big West in conference strikeouts at 30.
- Deena Pederson recorded three stolen bases improving her perfect season total to 15-for-15.
- Tonight was one of two games for the Rainbow Wahine where only two hits were recorded.
- In the all-time series, UC San Diego moves to 3-5 vs. Hawai'i.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will finish the series vs. Hawai'i on April 1 in an afternoon doubleheader at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Game one of the doubleheader is set to begin at 3:00 pm PST with game two to follow immediately after. Both games will be live on ESPN+ with live stats available on ucsdtritons.com.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West Conference inÂ
NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.comÂ
or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
