GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The UC San Diego baseball team lost both ends of a non-league doubleheader Saturday at No. 29 Colorado Mesa, squandering a four-run lead to lose 6-4 in the first game and falling 3-2 in extra innings in the second game at Canyon View Park.
UCSD was leading 4-0 before Colorado Mesa plated five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Mavericks ahead for good in the first game. In the second contest, CMU pushed across the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth.
With its fifth straight loss, UCSD dropped to 1-6 overall. CMU improved to 5-2 and clinched the four-game series with the doubleheader win. In Friday's series opener, the Mavericks used 18 hits to book a 14-4 victory over the Tritons.
After five scoreless innings in the day's first game, UCSD went up 4-0 in the top of the sixth, scoring runs on a balk, a sacrifice fly and a two-run double by shortstop Garrett Tuck. The Tritons had four of their nine hits in the inning.
Colorado Mesa came right back with five runs in bottom half to essentially seal the victory. Third baseman Colton Little drove in three runs with a double to left center with the other two runs crossing the plate on a single by Tamatoa Demello and a double by Erik Kozel.
Triton reliever Trevor Scott (0-1) suffered the loss as he gave up two runs (none earned), including the game-winning fifth run in the sixth. Starter Ryan Goodbrand gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 5.1 innings.
The win went to CMU starter Jared Christensen (1-1), who tossed six innings and gave up the four runs on seven hits. Derek Benham finished the game for his second save of the season.
UCSD made three errors in the field for the second straight game.
In game two, scheduled as a seven inning game, CMU had runners on first and third with one out in the bottom half of the ninth. A fielder's choice erased the runner on third with a play at the plate as he tried to score. Triton reliever Elias Tuma hit the next batter to load the bases up with two outs. Left fielder Jeff Popick came to the plate and singled to shortstop, knocking in the game-winning run in the form of center fielder Bobby Cozine.
The Tritons took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as center fielder Danny Susdorf manufactured a run on his own. After leading off the game with a single to right center, the next two batters were retired with Susdorf moving to second on a ground ball out. He stole third and scored on a wild pitch by starter Dylan Evans.
The Mavericks tied it up with a single run in the fourth and took a 2-1 lead with another run in the fifth.
UCSD evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the sixth as right fielder Scott Liske tripled to right and scored on a fielder's choice.
Benham (1-0), who earned the save in game one, took the win in the nightcap in a relief role. Tuma fell to 0-1 on the season with the loss.
Both teams had six hits and one error in the second game. Susdorf and Popick were the lone players with multiple hits, collecting two apiece.
The Tritons hadn't dropped five straight games since the 2003 season.
For the second straight day, the game time temperature was 42 degrees in Grand Junction, about 240 west of Denver on the Utah border.
The series finalé is Sunday at 11 a.m. (PT) at Canyon View Park in Grand Junction. The game will be covered by iive stats.
- UCSDtritons.com -
