ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - A potent offense and solid relief efforts by Tony York and Elias Tuma helped lead the 21st-ranked UC San Diego baseball team to its third straight win Sunday, an 8-6 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) victory at No. 16 Sonoma State.
UCSD (24-12, 17-11 CCAA) won three of four games in the series, including both ends of a Saturday doubleheader. Sonoma State (22-10, 15-10 CCAA) took the opening game on Friday.
In Sunday's back-and-forth finale, UCSD held a lead through four innings before SSU had a big fifth to take its first lead of the day. Three un-earned runs in the seventh inning would give the lead back to the Tritons for good.
The Seawolves out-hit the Tritons, 12-8, but made three costly errors in the field as only four of UCSD's eight runs were earned. Both teams left seven runners on base and the Tritons turned three double plays in the field.
"I can't say enough about how our guys competed both yesterday and today," said UC San Diego head coach Dan O'Brien. "Especially after one of our worst games of the year on Friday."
York, the fourth pitcher used by the Tritons in the game, came on in the fifth and tossed three scoreless frames to earn his first win as a Triton. The Seawolves had already scored four runs in the inning when York entered the game. With one out, he retired the first two batters he faced to end the bleeding. The junior transfer gave up two hits, struck out one and walked none.
The Tritons got on it early, plating three runs in the top half of the first inning. With two outs, designated hitter Nick La Face and left fielder Aaron Bauman hit back-to-back home runs - La Face to left and Bauman to right - off of SSU starter Joshua Nervis. La Face's was a two-run shot as it scored right fielder Kyle Saul as well.
The teams traded runs as SSU got on the board with a single run in the second and UCSD scored once in the third. The Seawolves added another single run in the third, making it 4-2 in favor of the Tritons.
In the fourth, SSU had a chance to get a run back. With two outs, catcher Kyle Cerrudo doubled and DH Kevin Cramer followed with a single. Cerrudo tried to score from second and was taken down at the plate by a strike fired from Saul in right field.
Sonoma State struck for four runs, courtesy of first baseman O'Koyea Dickson, in the bottom half of the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. The Seawolves loaded the bases on two hit batters and an infield error by the Tritons. Dickson came to the plate and took reliever Greg Selarz' first offering over the fence in left for the grand slam. The Seawolves could have added another run but shortstop Alex Todd was thrown out at the plate, with Saul and second baseman Matt Hubbard picking up assists on the play, the second of the day for Saul.
A scoreless sixth gave way to the top of the seventh, when the Tritons scored three runs to go back up for good. Hubbard led off and reached base on an error by the SSU infield. The next batter grounded out before center fielder Danny Susdorf plated Hubbard with a single back up the middle. Saul was hit by a pitch and Blake Tagmyer singled to load the bases. Following a strikeout for out number two in the inning, Bauman drew a walk, allowing Susdorf to score, tying the game at 6-6. Third baseman Evan Kehoe gave the lead back to UCSD as he singled to right, scoring Saul.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, the Seawolves threatened as Cerrudo singled off York. Elias Tuma came on in relief and immediately gave up a base hit to Cramer. With runners on first and second, Tuma got second baseman Justin Serrao to roll into a 6-4-3 double play to kill the rally.
UCSD tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Saul led off with an infield single and ended up scoring from first on an error when Tagmyer singled to right and the ball got by Cameron Cook and rolled all the way to the fence.
Again, the Seawolves mounted a comeback, this time with two outs. Dickson reached on an infield single off Tuma. Todd, representing the tying run, came to the plate and Tuma got him to ground into a fielder's choice with Dickson out at second to end the game. It was Tuma's team-leading fourth save of the year.
The Tritons used five pitchers in the game. Starter Jeff Rauh went just two innings, giving up two runs on three hits while walking three.
Sonoma State employed three pitchers with the loss going to the middle man, Connor Smith (1-1). Nervis went five innings and surrendered four runs on two hits. He struck out six and walked four. Dickson finished 3-for-5 with five RBI.
"We're bringing home some gutsy wins from a tough place to play against a very solid ball club," said O'Brien.
With 12 regular season CCAA games left, UCSD is tied with Cal State L.A. for second place in the league. Chico State, which has 18 games left, owns the top spot with its 16-6 mark.
UCSD returns home to host a four-game CCAA series against Cal State Stanislaus Apr. 15-17. Friday's opener will be under the lights at Triton Stadium with first pitch slated for 6 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader will start at noon and Sunday's final game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tickets are available at Triton Ballpark and UCSD students are free with a valid ID.
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