CHICO, Calif. - The UC San Diego baseball team cushioned its lead in the league and completed a four-game series sweep of Chico State with a tight 11-10 victory Sunday at Nettleton Stadium.
No. 7 UCSD, which entered the series a game behind 20th-ranked Chico State for first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), now owns a three-game lead in the hunt for the regular season title. With its 13th straight win Sunday, the Tritons are 34-12 overall and 25-12 in the CCAA. The Wildcats, losers of their last five, fell to 27-14 overall and 21-13 in the conference.
It looked like UCSD had perhaps sewn up the game early as the Tritons scored nine times in the second inning, a solid response to the three runs that Chico State plated in the bottom of the first. However, after eight innings it was 11-8 in favor of UC San Diego. In the ninth, the Wildcats scored two more to get within a run before Daniel Simmons finished it for his second save in as many games.
First baseman Blake Tagmyer went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI. Tagmyer led off the second inning barrage with a single and homered when he came up for second time in the frame, a three run job. Four Tritons had two hits each. Right fielder Kyle Saul scored two runs and hit his second home run of the season, going back-to-back with Tagmyer in the second.
"Blake is special," said UCSD head coach Dan O'Brien. "He flat out competes for us every day and that's what makes him a leader and a winner."
Reliever Elias Tuma got the win, improving to 5-0 on the year. He came on in the fifth after CSUC had scored three runs. With two outs, he retired the first batter he faced to end the rally. Tuma went 3.1 innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on one hit while striking out two and walking one. Starter Jeff Rauh got a no decision after surrendering seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out two with no walks.
For the Wildcats, right fielder Matt Anderson, designated hitter Phil Johnson and first baseman Shane Kroker all had two RBI. Starter Nick Baker dropped to 7-2 with the loss. He lasted just 1.2 innings and gave up eight runs (four earned) and seven hits.
Chico State out-hit UCSD 12-11. The Wildcats committed five errors in the game while the Tritons had two. Just five of UCSD's 11 runs were earned.
"I can't say enough about how our competed all weekend," said O'Brien. "Today wasn't pretty, but we found a way to finish, and that's all that matters."
UCSD closes out its regular season next week against Cal State San Bernardino. Triton Ballpark will host the first two games under the lights on Thursday and Friday, May 5th and 6th at 6 p.m. On Saturday, the two teams move to Fiscalini Field in San Bernardino for a doubleheader starting at noon.
For complete CCAA standings, click here.
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