FULLERTON, Calif. (KEYT) – The No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara Softball team opened the 2026 Big West Championship with an intense 10-9 win over the No. 6 seed UC San Diego. The Gauchos walked it off in the bottom of the ninth to advance in the winner’s bracket of the tournament and will take on No. 2 seed Hawai’i tomorrow.
HOW IT HAPPENEDIn the opening game of the tournament, the Gauchos competed in an offensive battle featuring five home runs and six lead changes before delivering the final blow in extra innings. UC Santa Barbara took the lead first in the opening frame when Emily Carr grounded out to third base, allowing Dani Rauscher to score for a 1-0 lead.
After a quick second inning for both sides, UC San Diego plated three in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead over the Gauchos. A few hits and fielding errors led to the runs. This was not unfamiliar territory for the Gauchos, as they trailed after three innings in two of three games against the Tritons in the regular season. Ainsley Waddell responded in the fourth when she launched a two-run home run to right field to tie the game at three…