LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego baseball team split a conference doubleheader against No. 10 Chico State Saturday, winning the opener 7-6 in the 13th inning and falling 15-1 in the nightcap at Triton Ballpark.
UCSD is now 3-8 overall and 1-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Chico State is 6-1 and 2-1. The doubleheader consisted of games two and three of a four-game series between the rivals. CSUC won Friday night's opener by a score of 4-1.
With the score knotted at six apiece in the bottom half of the 13th inning, James Mossholder led off with a single back up the middle and advanced to second on a passed ball. Following a strike out, shortstop Garrett Tuck was walked intentionally and third baseman Ryan O'Malley loaded up the bags by drawing a walk off of Chico reliever Sean Martin (0-1). Catcher Brett Levy lined a screamer back to the mound that was stabbed by Martin for the second out. However, second baseman Sam Michaels then came to the plate and laced a solid single into center field, scoring Mossholder to end the marathon affair.
Chico State led 4-0 before UCSD plated three runs in the third inning. The Tritons tied it up in the seventh with a single run, but the Wildcats answered immediately in the top of the eighth with a run to take the lead again, 5-4.
A pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth allowed the Tritons to take a 6-5 lead into the ninth inning. Closer Elias Tuma came on and started things off on a sour note by hitting Jordan Beck with a pitch. Beck moved around to third on two consecutive ground outs. With pinch hitter Shane Kroker at the plate, Tuma threw a pitch behind him that went to the backstop, allowing Beck to score the tying run.
The Tritons went down in order in their half to send the game into extra innings.
Freshman Trevor Scott (1-1) picked up his first collegiate win as he gave up no runs and no hits over the 12th and 13th innings. Starter Ryan Goodbrand went six innings, surrendering four runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one.
Chico starter Nick Baker lasted just three innings as he gave up three runs on six hits and struck out four batters.
Designated hitter Nick La Face was 2-for-2 with a run scored, two RBI and two walks. Levy and Michaels also had two hits each in the game.
TJ Yasuhara, Colton Hamill and Myles Dempsey all had two hits for Chico State. Austin Prott had a pair of RBI.
The second game was all Chico State as the Wildcats banged out 19 hits, eight of those doubles, and held UCSD to just four. CSUC led 9-0 before the Tritons tallied their lone run in the fifth inning when first baseman Richard Seigel doubled and later scored on an O'Malley ground ball out.
The Wildcats added on another six runs in the top of the seventh.
Starter Greg Selarz (0-2) took the loss for UCSD, giving up four runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings. Counterpart Ryan O'Shea (2-0) worked 5.2 innings, surrendering just the one run on three hits.
Four different Tritons accounted for the team's four hits in the game.
Yasuhara and Cody Foster had three hits apiece, while five other Wildcats had two hits each.
UCSD will have a chance to split the series as it wraps up Sunday with a single game at 11 a.m. at Triton Ballpark. UCSD students are admitted free with a valid ID. General admission tickets are $5 and are available at Triton Ballpark one hour prior to start time.
If you can't make it to the park, the game will have a live video stream as well as live stats.
- UCSDtritons.com -
