LA JOLLA, Calif. ?The 2nd-ranked UC San Diego baseball team lost a ninth inning lead in game one but rallied from five runs down in game two to earn a split against west region foe Western Oregon on Saturday afternoon at Triton Baseball Field. In the first game, UCSD was ahead 1-0 but fell victim to a three-run game-winning homerun by the Wolves to lose 3-1. In the second game, the Tritons rallied with three runs in the seventh and one in the eighth on a double by Devin Powers-Davis as the Tritons won 8-7.
In the first game, with two outs in the UCSD third, Vance Albitz got the first hit of the game. Robert Sedin followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Evan Kehoe came through with the RBI single to right field and the Tritons led 1-0.
After WOU got a single in the fourth, the Wolves did not get a base runner until a leadoff single by Kyle Boe in the eighth inning. Taylor Mieras followed with a bunt single to put two on with no outs. Shibuya fielded the attempted sac bunt and got the force at third base, while Kehoe threw to get the runner at first for a double play. With two outs and a runner on second, Burke made a diving catch down the left field line to preserve the 1-0 Triton lead and UCSD was out of a two on, no outs jam.
WOU's Travis Fox singled to lead off the ninth. With one out, Jason Moseby singled to put runners on first and second. Justin Speer followed with a three run homerun to right and the Wolves went in front 3-1.
WOU's Chad Lynch pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save.
In the second game, the Wolves put the first two runners on with no outs in the first inning. After a sac bunt, Kirby St. John got two fly ball outs to left field and no runs scored.
In the UCSD half of the first, Albitz singled up the middle and Sedin reached on a bunt single. After Kehoe's groundout put runners on second and third, Matt Cantele hit a sac fly to drive in Albitz and the 1-0 lead. Garrett Imeson came through with the two-out RBI, a double to the left center gap and the Tritons led 2-0.
WOU scored a run in the second on a wild pitch and UCSD led 2-1.
The Wolves loaded the bases with no outs in the third. Justin Speer hit a sac fly to tie the game at 2-2. Joe Pratt doubled off the right field wall to give the Wolves a 3-2 lead.
WOU broke through with four runs in the fourth inning to go ahead 7-2.
Chris Fung hit a triple off the right field wall for two RBI to pull UCSD within 7-4.
In the UCSD seventh, Nick Burke led off with a double to right center. With one out, Sedin singled up the middle for an RBI and the Tritons trailed 7-5 and had the potential tying run at the plate. Kehoe kept the inning alive with a single through the left side to put runners on first and second with one out. Cantele followed with a walk to load the bases with still one out. A fielders choice was recorded for the second out and the bases remained loaded. Mort found no mans land on an infield single for an RBI and pulled the Tritons within 7-6 and the bases were reloaded. Fung followed with a four-pitch walk RBI and the Tritons were tied 7-7. Pinch hitter Josh Tanner followed with a hard hit line out to third and the teams went to extra frames.
In the UCSD eighth with one out, Albitz walked and Sedin flied out. With two outs, Devin Power-Davis doubled to left center and Albitz came around to score the game-winning run, completing the comeback at 8-7 UCSD.
UCSD is back in action on Sunday when the Wolves and Tritons square off in another doubleheader with first pitch at 11:00 a.m. at Triton Baseball Field.
