LA JOLLA, Calif. -- After ralling for a come-from-behind 7-6 win in the opener, the Sonoma State softball team ran out of magic in the nightcap, falling 3-2 to split Saturday's doubleheader with UC San Diego in La Jolla. 

The Seawolves, however, remain atop the CCAA standings with a 9-2 record in conference play, as well as a league-best 17-4 mark overall.  The Tritons dipped to sixth place in the conference at 9-7 (16-8 overall).
 
Sonoma State will return home next weekend to host Cal State East Bay in a four-game series, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday at 1:00 pm.
 
GAME 1:  Sonoma State 7, UC San Diego 6
 
The Seawolves put the pressure on the host Tritons and starting pitcher Hannah Duarte early, drawing three walks to load the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning.  Duarte then hit Aubrie Tolliver to bring in Keeley Ray for the 1-0 lead, but Duarte got Jena Kaser to pop foul to end the Sonoma threat.
 
In the bottom of the second, UC San Diego plated four runs to take a 4-1 lead, but Sonoma State responded with six runs, all with two outs, in its next at bat to retake the lead at 7-4.  In that inning, the Seawolves loaded the bases before Olivia Lucchese had an infield RBI single, followed by a three-run double by Leanna Georges to give SSU the lead once again at 5-4.  Two consecutive walks loaded the bases full of Seawolves again when Duarte hit both Ashley Long and Taylor Batey to bring in two runs for the 7-4 advantage.
 
The Tritons came back with a run in the bottom of the third inning, which chased SSU starter Mayleen Mazon from the game.  Amanda Llerena came in to record a strikeout and a pop out to end the inning, but UCSD was able to cut the SSU lead to 7-5.
 
UC San Diego then put another run on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly, but from that point on, Llerena allowed just one hit to help Sonoma State hold on for the 7-6 victory.
 
Llerena improved to 10-2 this season after allowing just three hits and one unearned run in her four and two-thirds innings of relief work; she also struckout five.  Mazon had given up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks before being taken out in the third.
 
Tolliver finished the game going 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.  The Seawolves managed just five hits in the contest, but the Tritons' Duarte (7-5) give up seven walks in her complete-game effort in the circle for the hosts.  McKenna Clewett had three of UCSD's 10 hits in the opener.
 
GAME 2: UC San Diego 3, Sonoma State 2

After the Tritons took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, the Seawolves responded with a run in the fifth inning on an RBI triple from Purdy to cut the hosts lead in half.  In the UCSD sixth, the Tritons tacked on an insurance run that would prove to be critical when SSU came to bat in the top of the seventh.

With one out in Sonoma State's last at bat, Purdy reached on a one-out single, followed by a single by Ray.  Both Purdy and Ray successfully attempted a double steal and during the play, Purdy would score on a throwing error by the UCSD catcher, putting SSU within one run at 3-2 with one out and the tying run on second base.  However, Triton pitcher Alexis Edwards induced a line out and a fly out to end the game, giving the host Tritons their only win in the series.

Purdy went 3 for 4 with a triple and an RBI in the series finale and Rossetta went 2 for 3.  Llerena (10-3) took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out four.  Edwards improved to 7-1 for the Tritons despite allowing nine Seawolf hits in seven innings of work.