CHICO, Calif. ? The 11th-ranked UC San Diego baseball team defeated Nebraska-Kearney 12-5 in NCAA West Region action on Saturday afternoon. The win set up a semifinal showdown with No. 6 Chico State, a game which the Tritons led through the middle innings, but mistakes led to a Wildcat comeback, a 3-2 win over the Tritons. Chico State must now win twice against Sonoma State for the right to go to the College World Series next week. UCSD's season comes to an end with a school record 43 wins (43-18).
Matt Rossman went the distance scattering eight hits and striking out nine while walking one in the win over the Lopers. Rossman only allowed three hits in innings two through eight. His 10th win of the year pulls him within one win of the UCSD single-season record of 11 wins, held by Logan Boutilier in 2005.
In the second game, Trevor Decker pitched an oustanding game, going 5.2 scoreless innings and leaving with the lead.
Albitz led off the game against the Lopers with a walk and Kehoe singled through the right side with one out to put runners on the corners. Ferguson followed with an RBI groundout to the pitcher and the Tritons led 1-0. With two outs, Tim Mort singled up the middle for an RBI and the 2-0 lead. Michael Benton followed with a single through the right side, driving in two RBI and UCSD had a 4-0 lead.
Joe Nowaczyk hit a two-out double to center for an RBI and UCSD led 4-1. Leon de Winter followed with an RBI single to cut the lead down to 4-2. in the first.
With two outs in the UCSD fourth, Burke singled and stole second. Albitz followed with a single through the left side for an RBI and UCSD led 5-2.
Mort led off the UCSD sixth with a single through the left side and stole second, his second steal of the game. After Benton's team-high 11th sac bunt of the year, Chris Franco singled up the middle for an RBI, giving the Tritons a 6-2 lead. Burke followed with a double to center, driving in Franco and and Burke went to third on an error. Albitz layed down the squeeze bunt for an RBI and the Tritons had an 8-2 lead. After Cantele doubled off the right field wall, Kehoe singled for an RBI and the 9-2 edge.
Ferguson was hit leading off the seventh and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Garrett Imeson walked and Tim Mort reached on a fielders choice, with Ferguson scoring on an error to make the score 10-2. Benton followed with an RBI single to center for the 11th run of the game.
The Tritons added a run in the ninth for the 12-5 win.
In the elimination game against Chico State, Albitz' two out single in the third inning was his 85th of the year, tying the UCSD single-season school record.
Shane Farmer led off the Chico State third with a single to right field, advancing to third on an error by UCSD. Trevor Decker got the first out of the inning on a strikeout and got a lineout to shortstop for the second out. After a walk put two on with two outs, Decker got another strikeout to end the inning with the game remaining scoreless through three.
The Tritons got the leadoff batter aboard in the fifth inning as Benton was hit by a pitch. Ferguson followed on a hit-and-run single to right field, putting runners on the corners with no outs. With one out, Burke beat out a potential double play ball for an RBI, giving UCSD the 1-0 lead. With two outs, Burke stole second and scored on Albitz' RBI single. The hit was a school-record 86th of the year for Albitz and UCSD led 2-0 in the fifth.
The Wildcats put the first two batters on base in the bottom of the fifth. On an attempted sac bunt, UCSD's Benton made a diving catch in foul territory for the first out. With the bases loaded and still one out, Decker got the next Wildcat to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, keeping the score at 2-0 UCSD.
In the UCSD sixth, Mort singled with one out. With two outs, Ferguson walked and Chris Franco reached on an error to load the bases and knock CSUC starter Joel Garcia from the game. Burke followed with a near base hit but it was snagged by CSUC second baseman Travis Decoito to end the threat.
With two outs in the CSUC sixth, Josh Meagher doubled off the right field wall, marking the end of the day for starter Trevor Decker. Shibuya entered and got a swinging strikeout, but the batter would reach on a wild pitch, putting runners on the corners. Shibuya came back to strikeout the following Wildcat for the third out, keeping the score 2-0 UCSD.
With one out in the Wildcat seventh, three UCSD errors led to Chico State tying the game at 2-2.
CSUC got the first two runners on base in the eighth inning on a hit batsman and single. Bret Ringer followed with a go-ahead double to center field giving the Wildcats the 3-2 lead. CSUC would load the bases with no outs. Noe followed by getting a foul pop-up, strikeout and another pop-out to keep the game at 3-2 Chico State.
The Tritons were retired in order in the ninth as the Wildcats earned the right to play for the West Region title on Sunday.
