LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The 12th-ranked UC San Diego baseball team split two games with 15th-ranked Chico State on Saturday in La Jolla. The Wildcats scored five unearned runs in the eighth inning of the first game, defeating the Tritons by an 11-7 score. Evan Kehoe and Vance Albitz each hit homeruns for UCSD in the loss. UCSD rebounded to take game two 5-4. UCSD led 5-0 through four innings, with the help of a Matt Cantele three-run homerun. The Tritons held off the Wildcats as Keith Noe earned the save, his 10th of the year. UCSD is now 33-9, 17-6 CCAA, while CSUC is 28-11, 17-9 CCAA.
In the first game, Kehoe went 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Albitz went 2-for-5 with four RBI. Chris Hom also had a two-hit game with two runs scored.
Guido Knudson took the loss, pitching six innings and allowing four runs.
CSUC's Mike Robbins earned the win, pitching seven innings and allowing three runs, two earned, improving to 8-1 on the year.
After a scoreless first inning, Chico State's Kevin Seaver singled up the middle and the runner on second tried to score but was gunned down at the plate by Nick Burke. The next Wildcat doubled and the Tritons recorded another out at the plate as Tim Mort hit relay Garrett Imeson to Chris Hom at the plate as the score remained 0-0.
In the UCSD third, Hom led off with a double to right field. With one out, Hom advanced to third on a balk and scored on Albitz' groundout to give UCSD the 1-0 lead. Albitz would end up reaching on an error. With two outs and Albitz on second, Kehoe singled to left field for an RBI and the Tritons led 2-0. Mort came through with a two out single, but the run was cut down at the plate and the score remained 2-0 UCSD.
CSUC's Josh Meagher led off the Wildcat fourth with a solo homer to right field to make the score 2-1 UCSD.
Jimmy Dodos led off the CSUC sixth with a double and scored on Meagher's RBI single, tying the game at 2-2. With one out, Bret Ringer hit a two-run homerun, giving the Wildcats a 4-2 lead.
In the CSUC seventh, Meagher recorded an RBI single to extend the Wildcat lead to 5-2.
The Wildcats added six unearned runs in the eighth inning to make the score 11-2.
Kehoe hit a two-run homerun to right field in the eighth inning to make the score 11-4.
With one out in the ninth, Hom singled and Tanner doubled to put two on. Albitz followed with a three-run homerun to left center, making the score 11-7 Wildcats.
Rossman won game two, improving to 8-2 on the year. Tim Shibuya pitched a scoreless sixth, while Noe followed with a scoreless seventh.
In the second game with two outs in the UCSD second, Burke doubled and scored on Michael Benton's RBI single through the right side for the 1-0 lead.
In the UCSD third, Tony Bonelli reached on an error and Tanner singled through the right side to put runners on the corners with no outs. With one away, Cantele followed with a three-run homerun to right field, giving the Tritons a 4-0 lead.
The homerun ties Cantele for the team lead with eight. The junior All-American now has 45 in his career as a Triton. The school record is 53 round-trippers held by Bob Natal.
Burke and Benton led off the fourth inning with singles to put runners on the corners. Bonelli followed with a single to center for an RBI and the Tritons went ahead 5-0.
With two outs in the Chico State fifth, Joey Burke hit a two-run homerun to right field, bringing the Wildcats within 5-2.
Meagher led off the CSUC sixth with a double while Cody Dee followed with an RBI triple to pull CSUC within 5-3. Ringer grounded out to second for an RBI and the Wildcats were within 5-4.
After Noe entered in the seventh, he retired the first two batters before Joey Burke reached with a single through the right side. Noe got the final out on a fielder's choice, earning the save.
The teams will return to the field for the series finale on Sunday. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. at Triton Baseball Field.
