CARSON, Calif. - The 3rd-ranked UC San Diego baseball team had both its pitching and hitting going in a 10-1 and 21-3 doubleheader sweep over No. 10 Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday afternoon at Toro Field. With the wins, UCSD clinches the California Collegiate Athletic Association regular season title with a six-game lead with five CCAA games remaining. Guido Knudson and Kirby St. John both earned victories while Danny Susdorf, Evan Kehoe and Kyle Saul led several Triton offensive stars. With the wins, UCSD improves to 40-6, 30-5 CCAA, while CSUDH drops to 34-14, 24-11 CCAA.
Brandon Gregorich had four RBI in the two games, upping his season total to 68. That mark is a single-season school record, breaking Bob Natal's 67 RBI in 1987. With Gregorich leading the Tritons in most offensive categories, the record-breaking RBI came on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.
Gregorich now has 23 doubles which ties the single-season record and his 81 hits ranks sixth all-time at UCSD.
Vance Albitz added four more hits in the doubleheader, pushing his career total to 305. He has a shot to break the all-time mark of 306 (Garrett Imeson) at Triton Ballpark on Sunday. Albitz also added his 61st career double, a UCSD record.
The Tritons led by a 1-0 score in the sixth inning of the first game before scoring four times in the frame. After a Kehoe RBI, Susdorf came through with a two-RBI double as the Tritons finished the inning ahead 5-0.
The Tritons put the game out of reach in the seventh inning as Susdorf had the big hit again, this time a two-RBI triple and the Tritons led 8-0 before cruising to the 10-1 win.
Guido Knudson got the win to improve to 7-2 on the year. Knudson went 8.0 innings, scattered 10 hits and allowed one run, walked one and struck out five. Knudson had a low pitch count as well, throwing 99 pitches in his start.
Taylor Austin pitched the final scoreless frame for UCSD.
In the second game of the doubleheader, eight of nine starters had at least two hits in UCSD's 21-3 win and 22 hit attack. Kehoe and Saul each had three-run homeruns in the game. Kehoe, Susdorf and Robert Sedin each had three hits, while Saul had four RBI and Gregorich and Kehoe had three RBI apiece.
Kirby St. John earned the win to improve to 9-1 on the year. St. John pitched 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits, walking none and striking out four. Sean Greer and Eric Abraham also pitched in the game for the Tritons.
For Cal State Dominguez Hills, Kevin Pillar had hits in both ends of the doubleheader, extending his hitting streak to a near NCAA record. Pillar has hit safely in 46 games and has his sights on the NCAA record of 49 games.
UCSD and CSUDH will wrap-up the season series on Sunday with a 12:00 p.m. first pitch at Triton Ballpark. Sunday's game is Senior Day and the Triton senior class will be honored in a brief ceremony before first pitch.
