May 4, 2004

Box Score

Riverside, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara softball team posted its second shutout in its last three games, downing UC Riverside 2-0 to improve to 11-4 in Big West play. The Gauchos have now won 11 of their last 13 games and are 29-26 on the season.

This week's Big West Pitcher of the Week Jennifer Davis threw her second consecutive complete game one-hit shutout to improve to 13-13 on the year. She struck out 10 Highlanders on the day. Freshman catcher Shelby Hensler was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and one run scored to pace UCSB, while senior Heather Nobbe was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

UCR's Courtney Nix suffered the loss going the complete seven innings with three strikeouts and falls to 0-9 on the season.

Santa Barbara finally broke through in the top of the fourth. With two outs, freshman Brittany Putich stole second after reaching on a fielders choice to move into scoring position. Sophomore Karyna Wilkerson followed Putich's steal with an RBI single to right to give the Gauchos a 1-0 lead.

UCSB scored again in the fifth when Hensler doubled to left with one out. Nobbe knocked home Hensler with a laser that hit Nix in the foot and bounded into right field for a base hit.

Davis had a no-hitter going until the bottom of the seventh inning, where with one out the Highlanders' Liz Buck knocked a line drive through the leftside. In her last three outings, 19 2/3 innings, Davis has not allowed a single run scored, and has given up just four hits while striking out 33.

Now tied with #24 Pacific for third place in the Big West, the Gauchos travel this weekend to take on first place Long Beach State in a three-game conference series starting Friday, May 7 at the 49 Softball Complex. The 49ers are currently ranked 19th in the nation.