April 29, 2003
Santa Barbara, Calif. -
With a 3-1 win over UC Riverside at Campus Diamond, the UC Santa Barbara softball team improved its record to 34-17 (9-6 Big West) to tie the UCSB record for most wins in a season. The loss drops UCR to 11-40 and 2-13 in the Big West.
Freshman pitcher Carly Harmon gave up just one run and struck out four in a complete game performance to move to 17-7 on the season. Harmon is now just one victory away from tying the school record for most wins in a season set by Sandy Ortgies in 1987. Nicole Betherum was credited with the loss for the Highlanders and falls to 4-11 on the season.
Harmon stranded five Highlander base runners in the first three innings to keep the door open for the Gaucho bats that didn't come alive until the bottom of the third. Initiated by a leadoff single from senior Natalie Adame, UCSB rallied for three runs in the third for what proved to be its only scoring inning of the game.
UCR responded with a run of its own in the top of the fourth, but it would not be enough as the Gauchos clamped down to walk away with their school record 34th win of the season.
Santa Barbara had six different players collect hits in the game, but freshman Kristen Mann had UCSB's only multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 to improve her team second-best batting average to .349. Senior Jami Trinidad went 1-for-1 with one RBI to bring her hit total this season to 55.
The Gauchos continue their homestand this weekend in a key Big West Conference series against Long Beach State. The 49ers currently sit in second place in the Big West with a 9-3, just ahead of UCSB and Cal State Northridge by virtue of win percentage. Both Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game are scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.
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