LOS ANGELES, Calif.
- The UC San Diego baseball team lost to Chico State 7-5, despite a late rally in the ninth. In the elimination game, UCSD fell to CSUDH 11-9 at Reeder Field in Los Angeles. UCSD falls to 35-24 while the Toros improve to 33-17. The Toros advance to Saturday's CCAA Championship against Chico State at 12:00 p.m. CSUDH must defeat CSUC twice.
Matt Cantele and
David Morehead homered in games one and two, respectively, for the Tritons.
CSUC 7, UCSD 5
Chico State got on the board first in the first with two unearned runs and led 2-0 through one.
With one out in the Triton second, David Gomez walked and advanced to second on a balk. Garrett Imeson then walked to put two on. The next Triton batter lined into a double play, ending the inning with CSUC still leading 2-0.
Jonathan Erickson led off the top of the third with a single and advanced to second on Josh Tanner's sac bunt. After a walk, UCSD had runners on the corners with two outs, but would strand the runners.
With one out in the Triton fourth, Erickson blooped a single to center for an RBI, getting the Tritons on the board, trailing 2-1 through three and a half.
With two outs in the UCSD seventh, Damian Fante singled, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. Matt Cantele then homered to right center for a homerun, his 14th of the season, and UCSD went ahead 3-2.
CSUC's Trevor Weedon led off the Chico seventh with a double. Chad Williams then layed down a sac bunt to put a runner on third with one out. Carl Fairburn then doubled to tie the game at 3-3. Chico State would go on to score five more times with four extra base hits in the inning. CSUC led 7-3 through seven frames.
With one out in the ninth, Chris Hom had a pinch-hit single and Fante was hit to put two on. Cantele drew a walk and the Tritons had the potential tying run to the plate with one out and the bases full. Scott Clement then singled to right field for two RBI and the Tritons trailed 7-5 with the tying runs on base. The next two Tritons were retired, ending the rally and sending the Tritons to a must win in game two against CSUDH.
CSUDH 11, UCSD 9
In the CSUDH first, Jason Klug had a two-out RBI single up the middle to give the Toros the early 1-0 lead.
In the UCSD half of the first with two outs, Clement doubled down the right field line and David Morehead homered to right center, his 12th of the year and put the Tritons ahead 2-1.
CSUDH came right back and regained the lead 3-2 in the second on a two-run homerun by Cody Puckett.
UCSD's David Gomez doubled with one out in the Triton sixth. Tanner then doubled, but Gomez was only able to advance to third, setting up second and third with one out. Fante was then hit to load the bases with one out. John Roth was then safe on a fielders choice and a CSUDH error allowed another Triton run to cross the plate after Gomez scored. Clement the doubled off the right center wall, driving in Fante and putting UCSD ahead 5-3.
With out in the CSUDH sixth, Puckett tripled to center field. Chris Hunter then homered to right center, tying the game at 5-5. Kyle Stanley then hit a three-run homerun with two-outs to push CSUDH ahead 8-5.
In the bottom half, Cantele was hit and with one out Gomez reached on a bunt single. A double play ball ended the threat as UCSD trailed 8-5 through six.
Fante singled in the seventh inning, extending his hitting streak to 19 games. With two outs, Morehead walked to bring the potential tying run to the plate but could not get the runs in.
CSUDH added another run in the eighth on a two-out single by Kyle Stanley and the Toros led 9-5. With still two gone, the Toros added a second run in the inning and led 10-5 in the eighth.
UCSD loaded the bases in the eighth with one out. With two outs, John Roth singled off the pitcher for an RBI as the bases remained loaded with UCSD trailing by four with the potential tying run at the plate. Clement the singled to third to bring UCSD within 10-7. Morehead then singled through the left side for two RBI and the Tritons were within 10-9 with runners on first and second through eight.
Hunter then hit his second homerun of the night to give the Toros breatheing room at 11-9 in the ninth.
The Tritons were retired in the ninth with the final 11-9 CSUDH.
