LA JOLLA, Calif. ?Brandon Gregorich's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th-inning gave the 23rd-ranked Tritons a 3-2 victory over No. 1 ranked Cal State Stanislaus in the opening game of the four-game set on Friday afternoon at Triton Baseball Field. The hit was Gregorich's first career hit as a Triton as UCSD was led by the pitching of Tim Shibuya and Sean Greer. After Shibuya went nine innings allowing two runs, Greer pitched two frames of shutout baseball to earn the win. With the win, UCSD improves to 12-7, 9-4 California Collegiate Athletic Association, while the Warriors drop to 16-4, 8-3 CCAA.
Shibuya scattered 10 hits in nine innings, striking out seven and walking none. Greer improved to 4-0 on the season.
Vance Albitz led off the UCSD first with a double to right center and advanced to third on Robert Sedin's sac bunt. Matt Cantele was hit by the pitch to put runners on the corners. UCSD hit into a double play as CSUS got out of the inning with no damage done.
In the CSUS third, Alex Zanini hit an RBI single up the middle for the 1-0 lead. The Tritons got the final out of the inning on a single to right field as Tim Mort threw to Albitz who threw home to record the final out of the inning and the game remained 1-0 CSUS.
UCSD tied it on the bottom of the third on an RBI ground out by Albitz.
In the bottom of the fifth with one out, Kellen Lee homered to right, giving the Tritons a 2-1 lead.
In the CSUS seventh, the Warriors loaded the bases with one out. Zach Cadet hit a sac fly to center to tie the game at 2-2.
In the bottom of the 11th, Albitz led off with a single through the right side. After Sedin hit a sac bunt, Cantele was intentionally walked. After Kehoe struck out, Gregorich was jammed but managed to get enough of the ball as it floated into center field for the game-winning RBI at 3-2 Tritons.
Albitz, Kehoe and Lee finished with two hits apiece for the Tritons.
CSUS had 11 hits as a team and Spencer Snodgrass pitched a strong game going 7.0 innings, allowing just one earned run. The loss went to Eric Federico who is now 3-2.
UCSD is back in action on Saturday, with a doubleheader against No. 1 Cal State Stanislaus. First pitch of the first game is slated for a 12:00 p.m. start.
