Bears Split Opening Day at Easton Stadium Against UC Santa Barbara, No. 7 UCLA

Friday, February 6

Los Angeles, Calif.

2:30 p.m. MST | 1:30 p.m. PST

University of Northern Colorado

1-0

University of California Santa Barbara

0-1

Northern Colorado

UC Santa Barbara

2/6/2026 11:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Brooke Richards, Director of Strategic Communications

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Northern Colorado softball split a challenging opening day Friday at Easton Stadium, opening the season with a 7-2 win over UC Santa Barbara before falling 10-1 to No. 7 UCLA in the nightcap.

GAME 1: Northern Colorado 7, UC Santa Barbara 2
Northern Colorado opened its 2026 campaign with a composed, complete performance behind timely power at the plate and a steady outing in the circle from Anna Wilming, who went the distance to earn her first win of the season.

After a scoreless first inning, the Bears struck first in the second. KK Christie doubled to lead off the frame before Jazzy Longo launched a two-run home run down the left-field line to put UNC on top, 2-0. The Bears added another run in the third when Amailee Morales homered to right field.

UC Santa Barbara trimmed the margin with a solo shot in the fourth, but Northern Colorado answered immediately in the fifth. Ella Gonzales drove in a run with a double to left-center before Katie Walling followed with a two-run home run, extending the lead to 6-1.

UNC added one more run in the seventh on Gonzales' RBI single, while Wilming closed out the win by limiting the Gauchos to two runs on seven hits over seven innings, striking out four. The Bears finished the game with 10 hits, including home runs from Morales, Walling and Longo.

GAME 2: No. 7 UCLA 10, Northern Colorado 1
The Bears faced a tough test in the nightcap against seventh-ranked UCLA, with the Bruins pulling away in the middle innings.

After UCLA opened the scoring with a solo homer in the second, the Bears answered in the fourth. KK Christie connected on a solo home run to center field, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

UCLA responded with a decisive seven-run fourth inning to break the game open. Northern Colorado finished with three hits, including singles from Abby Gaona and Hayden Nelson, while Ellyse Hydock, Grace Algrim and Aiyana Cordero each saw time in the circle.

RECORD WATCH: Amailee Morales ranks 2nd all-time in doubles (43, one shy of the school record), 1st in home runs (29) and walks (86), 2nd in RBIs (119), 11th in hits (146), 4th in total bases (276) and 6th in putouts (588), while Ella Gonzales sits 11th in hits (146), 11th in RBIs (75), 11th in walks (48) and 7th in hit by pitch (18) as both continue to climb the Northern Colorado career charts.

DUE UP: The Bears will continue their stint in LA tomorrow, facing Long Beach State at 1:30 p.m. MST and LMU at 4 p.m. MST. Both games will take place at Smith Field on the campus of LMU.

FOLLOW THE BEARS: For the latest news and updates on Northern Colorado Softball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @UNC_BearsSB, and on Facebook at /UNCBearsSB.