LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego starting pitcher Jeff Rauh registered a career-best 12 strikeouts, but the 30th-ranked Tritons ended up losing, 8-1, against a solid No. 33 Western Oregon squad Friday afternoon at Triton Ballpark.
Western Oregon scored two unearned runs in the seventh inning to go up 3-1 and tacked on five more in the top of the ninth to account for the final score.
It was the first of a four-game series and the first contest of the season for both teams.
Rauh, a senior right-hander, threw six full innings, giving up just one run on two hits while walking one. His strikeout count was the most for a Triton since Matt Rossman sat down 12 against Central Missouri on May 24, 2010. Rauh's previous career-high for Ks was seven, set on Mar. 12, 2011 against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The Wolves countered with right-hander Grady Wood, who finished with half as many strikeouts as Rauh, but was just as effective. Wood went seven innings for the win, giving up just the one run on three hits. He walked one Triton. Ian MacDougall replaced Wood to toss the the eighth and ninth innings. He struck out four and gave up a lone hit to record the save.
With the score tied 1-1, Justin Burns took over for Rauh on the mound to start the seventh inning. Bo Folkinga lifted a ball high into left-center field that should have been caught but wasn't, allowing him to get to second base on the play. Folkinga took third on a ground out and scored the eventual game-winning run as Griff Boyd singled through the left side. WOU added a second unearned run in the inning as they loaded the bases with two outs. Reliever Tony York walked Eric Copenhagen, forcing in the run and giving the Wolves a 3-1 lead. Both runs were charged to Burns, who took the loss.
Four hits, a balk, a hit by pitch and a walk led to five runs for the Wolves in the ninth inning. Folkinga drove in three with a double to left center.
UCSD scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning. With one out, left fielder Justin Rahn banged a chopper towards short that was misplayed by Wood, allowing Rahn to reach first on the error. Catcher Nick La Face was then hit by a pitch, advancing Rahn to second. Designated hitter Richard Seigel, a transfer playing in his first game as a Triton, singled up the middle to score Rahn from second. Seigel was the only Triton to have multiple hits as he went 2-for-3.
Rauh put the Wolves down in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings before beginning to tire.
Western Oregon tied the game up in the sixth inning as Rauh gave up a leadoff walk followed by a single to center. Both runners were moved up by a sacrifice bunt and Josh Solemsaas crossed the plate on a wild pitch by Rauh. Rauh recovered quickly to record the final two outs of the inning, the first on a ground out and the second on his 12th and final strikeout of the game.
AJ Royal had three hits for WOU.
"I felt really good about the effort our pitching staff put in today," said first-year UCSD head coach Eric Newman. "Western Oregon did a good job of competing all the way through, and we expect that. They are a well-coached team and we need to make sure that we do a good job all the way through this series."
The two teams play a doubleheader Saturday with the first game slated for a noon start. The series wraps up Sunday with a single game at 11 a.m.
UCSD students are admitted free to all home games with a valid ID. General admission tickets are $5 and are available at Triton Ballpark.
- UCSDtritons.com -
