LA JOLLA, Calif. ?The 6th-ranked UC San Diego baseball team won for the 17th time in its last 18 games with a 6-1 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday afternoon at Triton Baseball Field. Matt Rossman (7-2) hurled eight innings, allowed just one run, one walk and struck out six. During the middle innings, Rossman retired 14 consecutive Toros. Five different Tritons drove in runs as UCSD used a three-run fourth and a two-run seventh to put away the Toros. With the win, UCSD improves to 27-8, 21-5 California Collegiate Athletic Association, while CSUDH drops to 25-18, 14-12 CCAA.
Rossman's win was his team leading seventh of the year. Four Tritons are currently in their longest hitting streaks of the year. Josh Tanner and Garrett Imeson have each had hits in their last 13 games. Evan Kehoe has a 12 game hitting streak and Matt Cantele currently has a seven game hitting streak.
In the UCSD fourth, Vance Albitz led off with a double to center. Albitz advanced to third on Garrett Imeson's ground out and scored on Evan Kehoe's RBI single for the UCSD 1-0 lead. Matt Cantele followed with a single and Brandon Gregorich walked to load the bases with one out. Tim Mort beat out a potential double play ball and allowed Kehoe to score and Cantele would also score as the throw to first got away and the Tritons had a 3-0 lead.
A one out single in the CSUDH seventh ended a streak of 14 consecutive batters retired by Rossman.
Mort led off the seventh inning with a double down the right field line. Sedin followed with his third hit of the game, a double to left for UCSD's 4-0 lead. Josh Tanner extended hit hitting streak with a single to put runners on the corners with one out. Albitz layed down a sac bunt for an RBI and the Tritons led 5-0.
In the CSUDH eighth, John Skala led off with a double and would score on Candelario Flores' two-out RBI single to make the score 5-1 UCSD.
With two outs in the eighth, Brandon Gregorich homered to left field for UCSD's sixth run of the game.
Guido Knudson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Tritons.
The four game set will conclude on Saturday with a doubleheader at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Toros are 18-4 on their home field in 2009.
