Long Beach State tagged UCSB’s starting pitcher for four runs in the top of the third inning, proving to be enough for a 7-3 win Friday. The win over UCSB (8-22, 5-5 Big West) came behind another dominant pitching performance from Long Beach’s (17-5, 11-1 Big West) Shannon Haddad.
Haddad made quick work of the Gauchos’ bats as eight of her first nine outs came from strikeouts.
Sophomore shortstop Cam Ceil opened up the scoring with a leadoff homerun in the third inning. UCSB pitcher Emily Schuttish proceeded to walk the bases loaded following the homer.
Senior outfielder Breezy Wise doubled home two more to push LBSU’s lead to 4-0.
That’s all Haddad needed, as the second-year freshman transfer from San Jose State went on to pitch her third complete game of the season while tying a career-high in strikeouts at 11.
She gave up three earned runs on seven hits and did not issue a single walk to a UCSB hitter on an even 100 pitches.
The Gauchos got on the scoreboard with a solo homerun from sophomore outfielder Ally Nodohara, her third of the season, giving her a new career-high for a single season.
Nodohara single-handedly kept the Gauchos lineup afloat as she finished the game 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, including an RBI double in the seventh inning.
Haddad has a perfect 8-0 record and is now tied for second in the Big West in wins with LBSU teammate Kellie White.
Long Beach pushed a fifth run with back-to-back doubles at the top half of the seventh inning by junior outfielder Naomi Hernandez and freshman pinch-hitter Lilyanna Martinez.
Two pitches later junior first baseman Alyssa Gonzalez crushed a 2-run homerun off the façade of a UCSB building beyond the left field wall to put the game out of reach.
LBSU sophomore second baseman Emily Salazar’s 12-game hitting streak came to an end after going 0-for-2.
The Beach stays on the road with a doubleheader on Saturday at UCSB with the first beginning at game at 1 p.m.