LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 3rd-ranked UC San Diego baseball team dropped its California Collegiate Athletic Association opener by a 10-9 score to No. 23 Chico State on Friday afternoon at Triton Ballpark. The second game of the doubleheader was suspended in the bottom of the seventh-inning, with the score tied 6-6. The suspended game will resume on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., followed by the scheduled nine-inning game between the two squads. The suspended game is a seven-inning game and will go to extra frames if the Tritons cannot end the game in the bottom half of the seventh. The Tritons had a great chance to win the first game, leading 6-3 in the ninth, but could not put away the Wildcats.

In the first game, Kyle Saul nearly hit for the cycle with a double, triple and homerun, going 3-for-5 with four RBI. Aaron Bauman, Robert Sedin and Danny Susdorf all had multiple hits.

Tim Shibuya turned in another quality start, going 8.1 innings, allowing four earned runs, walking one and striking out a season-high nine batters. Shibuya left the game in the ninth, but the UCSD bullpen gave up the lead and could not minimize the damage. Guido Knudson took the loss to fall to 1-1 this season.

The big blow in the Chico State rally, was Adam Arakawa's three-run homerun to put the Wildcats on top 8-6. When all was said and done, the Wildcats scored seven times in the ninth to lead 10-6.

As always, the Tritons showed they would not go down easy as Saul blasted a three-run homerun to pull UCSD within 10-9. The final Triton batter was the powerful Bauman, but he was retired on a solidly hit ground ball to second base.

Sheldon Lechuga was the winning pitcher, going 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.