CARSON, Calif. ? The 14th-ranked UC San Diego baseball team defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills 9-0 at Toro Field on Thursday afternoon. Kirby St. John pitched eight shutout innings with nine strikeouts and Matt Cantele homered and drove in four RBI in the win. UCSD improves to 20-5, 10-2 California Collegiate Athletic Association while the Toros drop to 9-17, 6-7 CCAA. The Tritons broke open a close game with six-runs in the ninth-inning. Cantele came through with a two-out bases-loaded double, driving in three runs. Garrett Imeson and Nick Burke also recorded multi-hit games.
Tim Strombel pitched the scoreless ninth inning for the Tritons.
CSUDH got a solid performance from Bret Montgomery who went eight innings allowing three runs, two earned and struck out 11 Tritons.
Cantele continues to be unkind to CSUDH pitching. In 10 career games against the Toros, the UCSD first-baseman is 13-for-34 with 15 RBI, four homeruns and four doubles.
In the top of the first with two outs, Cantele hit a 2-1 pitch to centerfield for a homerun to put the Tritons ahead 1-0.
Neither team would score until UCSD broke through in the sixth. Chris Hom struck out leading off the inning, but reached first on a passed ball. With one out, Franco doubled, allowing the pinch-runner Kyle Saul to score, with Franco advancing to third on the throw. Imeson followed with a sac fly RBI to centerfield and the Tritons pulled ahead 3-0.
In the Triton ninth, UCSD loaded the bases with one out after Imeson was hit, Evan Kehoe walked and Tim Mort singled. Benton came through with a single to centerfield, driving in two and putting the Tritons on top 5-0. After a double-steal, Nick Burke singled up the middle for UCSD's third run of the inning. Cantele came to the plate with the bases loaded and two-outs, and doubled to centerfield, clearing the bases for three RBI and UCSD had six runs in the inning and a 9-0 lead.
UCSD is back in action on Friday when it takes on Cal State Dominguez Hills. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. in Carson.
