LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 3rd-ranked UC San Diego baseball team trailed Cal State L.A. 4-0 in the seventh inning, before its bats came alive in an eight-run seventh inning, as the Tritons defeated the Golden Eagles 10-4 on Friday afternoon at Triton Ballpark. After scoring just one run in a loss to CSULA on Thursday, the Tritons had scored just one run in their last 15 innings against the Golden Eagles before the seventh inning. In that inning, the Tritons sent 14 hitters to the plate and scored eight runs on six hits.
Richard Kilbury earned the win in relief for UCSD. With the win, UC San Diego improves to 35-6, 25-5 California Collegiate Athletic Association, while CSULA drops to 17-22, 15-15 CCAA.
CSULA grabbed a 4-0 lead by scoring two runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh. Jordan Castro had a big two-run homerun and Mario Ramirez had two RBI to give the Golden Eagles the lead in the top of the seventh.
The first six Tritons would reach base in the seventh inning as CSULA would go through four pitchers in the frame. Pinch hitter Danny Susdorf got the inning started with a single to center. Robert Sedin followed with a single and Blake Tagmyer had a pinch-hit RBI single for UCSD's first run. UCSD's first out would be a productive out, coming on a sac fly by Brandon Gregorich. That would plate UCSD's fourth run of the inning, tying the game at 4-4.
Still in the seventh with two outs, Kyle Saul would drive in two with a triple off the right field wall to give UCSD a 6-4 lead. The inning continued as Sedin singled to left field, driving in two more runs and UCSD had an 8-4 lead through the seventh inning.
Continuing its momentum in the eighth inning, Kehoe had an RBI triple, driving in Aaron Bauman who doubled earlier in the inning. Saul came through with another RBI single to give UCSD its 10th run of the game.
Kilbury, who got the final out in the seventh, retired the side in the eighth as well. Kilbury went 1.1 innings, allowed one hit and no runs for his first collegiate victory.
Matt Rossman was strong in his start, going 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walked two and struck out four. Elias Tuma struggled in his stint, going 0.1 innings and allowing three hits and one run. Taylor Austin pitched the ninth frame and allowed no runs.
The loss went to CSULA's J.R. Bromberg who dropped to 0-4.
UCSD had hits in every inning, finishing with 16 hits in the game. Saul finished with three hits, going 3-for-5 with three RBI. Sedin also had three hits going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Vance Albitz, and Bauman also had mult-hit games.
With the series tied at 1-1, the series will now shift to Cal State L.A. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Reeder Field in Los Angeles.
