LA JOLLA, Calif. ?The 5th-ranked UC San Diego baseball team captured the California Collegiate Athletic Association regular season title by sweeping a doubleheader against Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday afternoon at Triton Baseball Field. UCSD ran the table at home in conference, winning all 16 CCAA games on its home turf. The Tritons won the first game 7-3 as Josh Tanner had a two-RBI double and Kirby St. John (2-2) earned the win. Both teams held leads in the second game as the Tritons won 11-9. Matt Cantele blasted career homerun number 54, becoming the all-time leader at UCSD. With the win, UCSD improves to 33-12, 27-9 CCAA, while the Broncos end their season at 26-23, 16-20.
The Tritons had never won a regular season CCAA title, only a 2005 CCAA Tournament title. “Winning the regular season title is different,” said head coach Dan O'Brien. “It is more rewarding to win the CCAA regular season because you have to go through 36 games. The CCAA is very strong this year.”
St. John went eight innings, allowed two earned runs, walked none and struck out five, winning his second consecutive decision. Guido Knudson pitched a perfect ninth for the win. Evan Kehoe had three hits in the first game, and would follow that up with four hits in the second game, going a combined 7-for-8 with three RBI.
Cantele's record setting homerun came in the second game and put UCSD up 8-4 in the fourth, a lead that would slip away, only to see the Tritons respond with a comeback and three runs in the sixth.
In the first inning of the first game, CPP scored an unearned run to take a 1-0 lead.
In the CPP second, Frank Klopp tripled to center with two outs, driving in two and CPP led 3-0.
With one out in the UCSD third, Nick Burke and Vance Albitz singled. Josh Tanner followed with a double to left for two RBI and pulled UCSD within 3-2.
In the UCSD fourth, the Tritons loaded the bases with no outs. Kellen Lee reached on a fielders choice for an RBI and UCSD tied it at 3-3. Albitz hit an RBI fielders choice to push UCSD in front 4-3.
In the UCSD sixth, Tim Mort stole third and would score on an errant throw for the 5-3 edge. Pinch hitter Michael Benton layed down the squeeze bunt for an RBI and UCSD led 6-3.
In the UCSD seventh, UCSD put runners on the corners with one out. The Tritons would score an unearned run on Evan Kehoe's single to lead 7-3.
Knudson would close out the 7-3 win.
In the second game, the Broncos scored in the first inning to lead 1-0.
With the Broncos ahead 2-0, Frank Klopp hit a two-run homerun to left and CPP went ahead 4-0 in the second inning.
In the UCSD second, Evan Kehoe led off with a double to center. Brandon Gregorich followed with a single through the left side to put runners on the corners. Tim Mort put UCSD's first run on the board with a fielder's choice RBI and UCSD trailed by a 4-1 score. Kellen Lee followed with his 10th homerun of the year, a two-run shot to left field to pull UCSD within 4-3.
In the UCSD third, Garrett Imeson led off with a double off the left center wall. With one out, Evan Kehoe doubled to right field for an RBI, tying the game at 4-4. Brandon Gregorich doubled to center for an RBI and UCSD went ahead 5-4.
Robert Sedin led off the UCSD fourth and the Tritons led 6-4. With two outs, Imeson singled and Cantele homered to right field for UCSD's 8-4 lead.
CPP loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. Manuel Navarro hit a sac fly RBI to pull CPP within 8-5. Chris Brehm followed win an RBI single to pull the Broncos within 8-6. Nick Tanos followed with a three-run go-ahead homerun to left and the Broncos had a 9-8 lead.
UCSD put two runners on with one out in the sixth. Evan Kehoe singled through the left side to tie the game at 9-9. Gregorich was intentionally walked to load the bases with still one out. Mort followed with a high chopper single to shortstop and two runs would score to put UCSD up 11-9.
While Knudson blew a save, he rebounded to earn the win in the final frame, improving to 4-0 this season.
UCSD is back in action at the CCAA Tournament in Palm Springs. The other teams in the CCAA tournament are CSULA, CSUDH and Sonoma State. Seedings for the tournament will be announced on Sunday night by the league office.
