The UCSB softball team will take a trip down to Tempe, Arizona this week to begin the 2012 season at the Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State. The Gauchos will be tested starting Thursday, playing six teams in four days, including three teams ranked in the top 25 of the nation.

“We’ll get to test our offense against some of the best pitching and test our defense against some of the fastest offenses and strongest hitting,” Head Coach Brie Galicinao said. “We’ll be able to find out what we need to work on against the best and how we stack up.”

UCSB is coming off a fourth place finish from last season, finishing one game above .500 with a 27-26 overall record and 11-10 in the Big West conference. This season, Santa Barbara was picked in the Coaches Poll to finish fourth, behind Pacific, Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton, respectively.

The Gauchos play their first game of the season Thursday against the ninth ranked team in the country, Tennessee, and play double headers on Friday and Saturday, including a matchup against No. 11 Oregon and No. 10 Stanford on Sunday.

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UCSB softball ended its season Monday with a sweep of visiting UC Davis 4-3, 3-2 and 2-0.

The wins snapped a six-game losing streak and gave the Gauchos their ninth winning season in the past 10 years. At 27-26 overall and 11-10 in the Big West, the Gauchos rank fourth in the conference standings, much higher than the seventh place they were expected to finish by the preseason polls.

“We call ourselves the ‘Gauch-show’ and we wanted to go out with a bang,” junior catcher Lainey DePompa said. “We wanted to end the way we started [winning] and play for our seniors.”

UCSB honored its two seniors, third baseman Jessica Beristianos and designated hitter Katie McWhirter, who ended their careers strong. In game one, McWhirter found the game-winning hit and Beristianos was the offensive backbone of the team, hitting 2-4 in game two and scoring the Gauchos’ first run in game three.

“They took advantage of every opportunity,” DePompa said. “It was a phenomenal way for them to finish out.”

The Gauchos were clutch all weekend, finding a shutout in the finale and a winning run in the first two games, which both went into extra innings.

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Last week, I sat down with softball players Jessica Berisitanos, Lainey Depompa, and Amanda Ziegler [denoted by J, L, and A respectively]. With a combination of Jessica’s facial expressions, Lainey’s sarcasm, and Amanda’s clever insights, I was thoroughly entertained for 40 minutes. Unfortunately I was denied filling the whole paper…

 

What rituals or superstitions do you have before playing?

 

L: I always have to put my left shin guard on first, so if anyone tries to help me, it’s like “thank you, but no thank you.” I also wear eye black (war paint).

J: We created this game that we play before our game. It started back at our team retreat.

L: It’s called “Whaaaaa.” We’re basically just playing in a circle and we kill each other with [an invisible] sword.

J: Oh, and during the national anthem, Lainey does some beats.

L: Yeah, during the national anthem, I add my own symbols and drums. I got some stares from Long Beach.

A: It was pretty loud.

L: Lauren Boser will hum it and Allison Taylor also adds extra symbols, so now we have a whole symphony. Especially when we’re all hitting the line together. It’s good.

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UCSB softball closed out its final road trip of the season this past weekend after getting swept by Pacific 3-2, 5-1 and 9-2 at Bill Simoni Field.

The Gauchos fall below .500 with a 24-26 overall record and a Big West mark of 8-10. The Tigers grasped full control of the top spot in the league with a conference record of 14-4.

“They came out punching hard, but we were capable of sticking with them,” senior shortstop Jessica Beristianos said.

Beristianos contributed two hits and two RBI in a losing effort on Saturday. One of the hits was her 42nd double of the season, tying Mandy Edwards’ career record set from 1997 to 2000.

“Jessica stepped up big time,” junior catcher Lainey DePompa said. “She really picked up our team and was clearly seeing the ball really well.”

In the fifth, Beristianos’ double cut the Tiger lead from four to two, but Pacific exploded for five runs later in the inning.

Junior Krista Cobb gave up nine runs — five of them earned — on 11 hits and walked five in game three.

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Gaucho softball will need to bring its A-game up north this weekend if they plan on beating Pacific in a three-game series.

UCSB (24-23 overall, 8-7 Big West) was swept by Long Beach last weekend in three games, two of which required extra innings. The Tigers sit at 32-16 with a conference record of 11-4 this year and has not dropped a single league series.

“[Long Beach] tested our limits, fighting those 13 hard innings and 28 innings total, and we learned a lot that we will take into this weekend,” senior shortstop Jessica Beristianos said. “This could be our last road trip and conference is still up for grabs. We’re ready to go out and play.”

According to the team, the games against Long Beach could be useful practice for the difficult games that lie ahead.

“I think in general they’re very similar teams,” junior third baseman Amanda Ziegler said. “They have similar pitching and, like Long Beach, they have a lot of power in their lineup. They have some speed, but really just good hitters.”

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Superior pitching beat skilled offense this weekend when Long Beach State swept UCSB softball 5-0, 6-5 and 3-2 at the 49er Softball Complex.

Freshman pitcher Erin Jones-Wesley, who tops the Big West in ERA and wins with 19, anchored the 49er defense with 16 strikeouts while only giving up three runs and eight walks in her 20 innings of work. With the win, Long Beach improves to 11-4 in the Big West, while the Gauchos drop to 8-7 and fourth place in league.

In Sunday’s 3-2 loss in eight innings, Long Beach’s senior first baseman Christina Schallig came up with the late-game heroics, blasting a ball over the left field fence in the eighth to secure the series sweep. Shallig’s offense led the 49ers, hitting 2-4 with one run and one RBI.

Junior left fielder Brooke Putich led the Gauchos offensively, batting 2-3 with one RBI, while freshman first baseman Lauren Boser tallied both the team’s runs.

UCSB took the first lead in Saturday’s 13-inning showdown with two singles and a double in the second inning. The 49ers strung together a series of hits to score four runs in the second and third inning, but the Gauchos added to their league-leading doubles tally — 60 — with two more in the sixth.

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Playing Cal State Northridge this weekend, UCSB softball will take their home field with extra motivation after losing the final game of the series to UC Riverside last weekend, which snapped their nine-game win streak.

With an overall record of 22-19 and a Big West record of 6-3, the Gauchos sit in a three-way tie for second place in the Big West. The Matadors, who are coming off a 1-2 series against Pacific, are 15-26 with a Big West record of 3-6.

“We took the series, which is most important,” junior catcher Lainey DePompa said. “There were a couple of misplayed balls and lucky hits for Riverside and they were back in the game.”

In order to improve on last season’s sweep by Northridge, the Gauchos will need to continue to be an offensive powerhouse. UCSB is No. 2 in the Big West in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBI and stolen bases. They lead the league in doubles and at bats.

“I think the key [to our offense] has been stringing hits together,” junior utility player Amanda Ziegler said. “We know we’re not a home run hitting team and [although] people do, it’s not something we rely on. We work on moving runners.”

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The only thing on the mind of UCSB Head Coach Brie Galicinao after Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to UC Riverside was: “We want it back.”

Despite winning the series 2-1, the Gauchos dropped the final game at Campus Diamond 11-8 in a high-scoring nail-biter which snapped their nine-game winning streak that had tied their 1993 record for most consecutive wins in a season. UCSB improves to 22-19 overall and 6-3 in the Big West while the Highlanders drop to 10-24 with a conference record of 3-6.

“Our offense came alive [this series] and has continued from the Cal Poly games,” said Galicinao. “We took the series, but it’s tough to drop the last game.”

The game, which included three lead changes, began with Riverside taking an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. The Gauchos quickly responded, walking in a run after freshman designated hitter Kendall Gill was hit by a pitch.

Reigning Big West Player of the Week Keilani Jennings gave UCSB their first lead in the third inning on a three-run homer, her second home run of the series. Leading the team offensively hitting 2-4 with two runs and three RBI, the sophomore shortstop is No. 7 in the Big West in slugging percentage (.545) and No. 4 in total number of runs scored (24).

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UCSB softball increased its winning streak to seven, sweeping Cal State Bakersfield in two nonconference wins 5-2 and 11-1 Wednesday at RR Softball Complex.

With the win, the Gauchos improve to 20-18 overall and 4-2 in the Big West while the Roadrunners fall to 14-22.

UCSB’s offense continued to dominate, sending four balls out of the park. The homers accounted for 10 of the team’s 16 total runs. UCSB is second in the Big West in batting average (.274), slugging percentage (.370), runs scored (157), hits (262) and RBIs (140).

The Gauchos were never threatened in the 11-1 victory, as the mercy rule was enforced in the fifth inning. Two strong innings to start the game propelled UCSB to an early 6-0 lead.

Finishing strong, UCSB racked up five more runs in the fifth. However, Bakersfield avoided the shutout with a run from junior pinch-runner Ashley Nahalein the final inning. Krista Cobb received the win after allowing one run on four hits with a walk.

UCSB sophomore shortstop Keilani Jennings, reigning Big West Player of the Week, led the team offensively. She went 2-3 with two runs and three RBI. Seven out of the 10 players who played scored at least one run and four players had two.

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After dropping seven consecutive games in March, UCSB softball has rebounded to win five in a row and six out of its last eight, sweeping Cal Poly this weekend 10-2, 12-2 and 5-2 in San Luis Obispo.

The Gauchos have climbed back up to the .500 mark and surpassed their total number of wins from last season, improving to 18-18 on the season and 4-2 in the Big West. The Mustangs drop to 6-26 with an equivalent conference record of 4-2.

“It’s nice to sweep them,” junior catcher Lainey DePompa said. “We’ve been putting the work in and it’s nice to see it coming together at the start of conference.”

For UCSB, sophomore shortstop Keilani Jennings had a standout weekend, hitting 7-10 with seven runs and five RBI to lead the Gauchos.

In Sunday’s 5-2 win, the Gauchos scored two quick runs off singles from freshman second baseman Kathryn Pilpil, freshman centerfielder McKenzie Kane and senior third baseman Jessica Beristianos, as well as a double from Jennings. After tacking on two more runs in the fifth, UCSB’s final run came off a homer by Jennings. Cal Poly’s two runs came in the fifth and seventh innings. Both were scored by freshman utility player Mariah Cochiolo.

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With 20 games remaining, the 15-18 Gauchos have already equaled the total number of games they won last season. But the games don’t stop, as UCSB softball heads to Cal Poly to take on the Mustangs.

Though Cal Poly’s record sits at 6-23 overall, it won its series against UC Riverside last weekend 2-1, while the Gauchos dropped theirs against Cal State Fullerton two games to one.

“I thought we did really well [this weekend],” said junior catcher Lainey DePompa. “We were aggressive and had good energy, but sometimes [the other team’s] going to score runs when it’s unexpected.”

Anna Cahn led the Mustangs’ attack against the Highlanders with two home runs and a batting average of .714, a slugging percentage of 1.571 and an on-base percentage of .818. Cahn, who received Big West Player of the Week honors after the series, leads the conference in home runs and slugging percentage.

“[Cahn’s] a big hitter and has a lot of power, but our pitchers have pitched against great hitters all year and we’ve been practicing in the outfield a lot,” said junior utility player Amanda Ziegler. “She’s a great player, definitely a threat.”

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UCSB softball snapped its seven-game losing streak this weekend when they defeated Cal State Fullerton 2-1 in the first game of Big West play. The Gauchos then dropped the next two 5-4 and 3-2, but recovered Monday to defeat South Dakota 4-1 in a nonconference doubleheader.

After seven games in seven days, the Gauchos improve to 15-18 overall and 1-2 in conference.

In Monday’s second win over South Dakota, the Coyotes scored first, but it would be their only point of the match. UCSB stormed back in the third to score three runs after a triple by freshman second baseman Kathryn Pilpil.

“We did a really good job of stringing hits together,” Junior utility player Amanda Ziegler said. “We were feeding off of each other and the energy was amazing.”

Freshman pitcher Andriana Collins struck out nine and allowed only five hits. UCSB leads the Big West in strikeouts.

“Our pitching is really good and each pitcher has her own strengths,” Ziegler said. “The trio works well together and they’re each competitors.”

In Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Titans, Fullerton’s Nicole Johnson hit a clutch home run in the ninth, giving the Titans a narrow victory after UCSB tied the game in the seventh.

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UCSB softball was unable to snap its five-game losing streak yesterday, dropping both games in a doubleheader to #7 UCLA by scores of 12-2 and 10-4 at Easton Stadium.

The Gauchos have now lost nine of their last 10 and fall to 12-16 on the season, while the defending champion Bruins improve to 23-5.

The long ball proved difficult for the Gauchos to handle, as UCLA tallied six home runs over the course of the two games, helping to score 15 of their 22 runs.

In the second game, UCSB shook off the loss to come out strong, scoring three runs in the first inning, one more than the team’s total in the first game. With freshman second baseman Katherine Pilpil and junior right fielder Allison Taylor on base, singles by sophomore shortstop Keilani Jennings and freshman designated hitter Kendall Gill put the Gauchos on the board. Freshman first baseman Lauren Boser proceeded to ground out, but not before Jennings was able to make it home.

Before yesterday, UCSB was 10-2 when scoring first. But the streak was not to continue, as UCLA broke away with a double and home runs from sophomore right fielder B.B. Bates and senior first baseman Monica Harrison, respectively in the bottom of the fourth.

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After being swept by #5 Arizona State in three mercy-rule matches last week, UCSB softball hopes to rebound on the road against defending #13 UCLA in a doubleheader today.

The Gauchos head into the series with a 12-14 record, having lost five in a row and seven out of their last eight. The losses in the Arizona series put them below .500 for the first time this season. Meanwhile, the Bruins look to improve upon their 21-5 record.

“This is the more difficult portion of our season, but I think it’s going to be really helpful going into our conference,” junior catcher Lainey DePompa said. “[The losses have] really helped us realize the small things [we] need to improve so that we can hold onto leads, make adjustments and keep the other team from scoring.”

After losing four of five games at home in the Gaucho Classic II, UCSB was scheduled to play against both UCLA and Fresno State over Spring Break. However, rain caused all four games to be canceled or postponed.

Although the Gauchos kept the Sun Devils in check for a majority of the series three weeks ago, their pitching crumbled during one inning in each of the three games, allowing five runs or more.

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