LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The UC San Diego baseball team sent 13 batters to the plate in a nine-run sixth-inning, breaking open a tie game en route to a 15-6 win over Grand Canyon on Friday afternoon at Triton Baseball Field. After hitting his first career grand slam against the Antelopes last February, Vance Albitz hit his second-career slam 363 days later, crushing the round-tripper over the leftfield wall. The Tritons put the leadoff runner on base in each of the first six frames and took advantage of four GCU errors. The Triton bullpen was strong again, as Tim Shibuya earned the win, while Nick Young and Joe Raleigh pitched scoreless frames. With the win, UCSD improves to 4-2, while Grand Canyon drops to 1-4.
Triton starter Matt Rossman lasted four innings, allowing four earned runs and got a no-decision. Shibuya went three-innings, allowing one hit, one run and striking out two.
For the Tritons, Matt Cantele and Michael Benton had three hits apiece, while Vance Albitz, Chris Franco and Garrett Imeson had two hits apiece. Albitz and Domanic have now hit safely in each game this season.
After GCU scored an unearned run in the first, Albitz led off the bottom half with a double, followed by walks to Matt Cantele and Domanic to load the bases with no outs. GCU got out of the inning without damage after a foul out, a soft line drive to second base and a ground out.
Nick Burke hit an RBI double to rightfield to tie the game at 1-1 in the second.
In the Triton third, Domanic reached on an error and a single by Chris Franco put runners on the corners with no outs. Imeson followed with a single to rightfield, driving in Domanic for UCSD's second run. After a hit batsman, the bases were loaded with no outs. Michael Benton followed with an RBI groundout and Kyle Saul hit a sac fly RBI to put the Tritons on top 4-1 through three.
In the GCU fourth, Jeff Mutchler tripled and scored on Byron Reischl's single to bring GCU within 4-2. With two outs, the Antelopes put runners on the corners and a two-out RBI by Tyler Bair made the score 4-3. Cody Fortney followed with an RBI single, tying the game at 4-4. GCU went ahead on a wild pitch to lead 5-4.
In the Triton fourth, Albitz walked and Cantele doubled to right, tying the game at 5-5. With two outs, Imeson reached on an error, scoring Cantele and the Tritons were back on top 6-5.
GCU scored the tying run on an error in the sixth inning, tying the game at 6-6.
In the UCSD sixth, Albitz drew a leadoff walk, his third walk of the game and the sixth consecutive inning a Triton leadoff batter reached base. Cantele singled putting runners on the corners with no outs. With one out, Franco doubled high off the leftfield wall, putting the Tritons back in front 7-6. Imeson followed with an RBI single and Justin Bono reached on an error, giving UCSD a 9-6 lead. Nick Burke was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring one run. Albitz came to the plate, his second at-bat of the inning and hit a grand slam to left field, clearing the bases and the Tritons were ahead 14-6. Domanic extended his hitting streak to six games with an RBI single, UCSD's ninth run of the frame.
UCSD and Grand Canyon take the field tomorrow with the first game of the doubleheader set for 11:00 a.m. at Triton Baseball Field.
