ROHNERT PARK, Calif. ?The 17th-ranked UC San Diego baseball team suffered two close losses to Sonoma State on Saturday afternoon at Seawolf Diamond. The Tritons dropped the first game 2-1 on a two-out ninth inning rally by the Seawolves. Tim Shibuya pitched brilliantly in defeat for UCSD. The second game was another close one as SSU won it by a 3-2 score. The Tritons put two on with no outs in the ninth, but could not come up with the tying run and fell short. The losses dropped the Tritons to 10-6, 7-3 California Collegiate Athletic Association, while the Seawolves improve to 11-4, 4-4 CCAA.
The teams would remain scoreless through the first five innings of the first game. In the UCSD sixth, Robert Sedin singled up the middle and stole second. Albitz would reach on SSU's third error of the game to put runners on the corners. The Tritons tried a squeeze, but Sedin was thrown out at the plate and runners were on first and second with one out. UCSD would load the bases with two outs and Nick Geach drew a pinch-hit walk for an RBI and Albitz scored the first run of the game, unearned for the 1-0 UCSD lead.
SSU scored a run on an RBI single by Cameron Cook. Shibuya got the next batter to ground out into an inning ending double play to keep the score tied at 1-1 through seven.
In the bottom of the ninth, a two out walk and a hits batsman put two Seawolves on. Cook came through again for SSU with the single to left field, driving in the winning run at 2-1 Seawolves.
In the second game, the Tritons got on the board first as Kehoe led off with a single and would score on Matt Cantele's two-out double in the second. SSU would score two in the bottom half of the second to take a 2-1 lead.
In the UCSD third, the Tritons would put the first two on and the runners would advance to scoring position on a balk. Josh Tanner followed with a sac fly RBI, tying the game at 2-2.
The teams would remain tied until the SSU seventh when the Seawolves loaded the bases with one out. Jacob Fiss hit a sac fly RBI to center and SSU led 3-2. The Tritons got out of the inning without further damage.
In the ninth, Garrett Imeson reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch with no outs. Kehoe was then hit by the pitch to put runners on first and second. With one out and Imeson on third, Imeson was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on a ground out to third base. UCSD had one last shot with runners on the corners with two outs but a fly ball to center field ended the threat and game at 3-2 SSU.
UCSD returns to action on Sunday with another doubleheader with the first game set for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch at Sonoma State.
