LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego took the first game of Saturday's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball doubleheader at Triton Ballpark over Cal State Monterey Bay by the final score of 5-0. The visiting Otters then knocked four home runs to take the seven-inning nightcap, 10-4, and earn the split of the day's twin bill.
With all results in from a full 10-game slate around the league from five doubleheaders, UCSD remained in first place at 26-13 overall and 21-9 in the CCAA. Fourth-place CSUMB moved to 23-16 overall and 19-12 in conference play. The Tritons had won Friday night's series opener, also in shutout fashion, 8-0.
Going back to midway through UCSD's 19-2 home victory over No. 20 Azusa Pacific on Tuesday night, Triton pitchers had strung together 24 consecutive shutout innings prior to a three-run Otter second in game two Saturday. UCSD continues to lead the CCAA in team ERA, now at 2.93.
UCSD will go for the series victory on Sunday, April 12, with the getaway-day finale set for an 11 a.m. first pitch at Triton Ballpark.
Game One
Trevor Scott, Dan Kolodin and Chad Rieser, all fourth-year seniors, scattered six hits to combine on the shutout in the first game. Scott struck out a season-high nine over the first six frames, falling one short of his career best from his freshman campaign in 2012. He gave up four singles, two walks and a hit batter, and evened his record at 5-5. It was his first win since March 7 against Chico State, in another Saturday doubleheader opener at home.
Kolodin threw the seventh and eighth, allowing the only other two hits. His first pitch of the outing went for a single, but the right-hander battled back for two strikeouts and a fielder's choice groundout to get out of the seventh. Rieser, like Scott a left-hander, tossed a perfect ninth with two strikeouts, the first against a swinging Ty Morris on a high fastball, around a chopped groundout that was smoothly handled by sophomore shortstop Tyler Howsley.
A four-run third, all unearned, was thus all the offense the Tritons needed as they batted around. Howsley and Gradeigh Sanchez each singled to lead things off. After a deft play by Otter starter Cody Gappa on a sacrifice attempt knocked out Howsley at third, Michael Mann reached on an infield error, with Sanchez coming around with the day's first run. With two away, a hit-by-pitch to Erik Lewis loaded the bases, before redshirt freshman leftfielder Justin Flatt rolled a two-run single right back up the middle. Sophomore rightfielder Christian Leung's opposite-field double down the left field made it 4-0.
The Tritons added a final run in the seventh when Jack Larsen dropped a two-out single just inside the left field line to plate Troy Cruz (Chula Vista/Bonita Vista HS), who had reached on a fielder's choice and swiped second for his second stolen base in as many games.
Earlier in the fifth, Cruz made a tough play at third base for the first out after a leadoff single, with Mann jumping up to snatch the throw and land on the bag just in time. After an infield single put Otters at the corners with one away, Scott fanned Curtis Gomez, and catcher Brett Levy collected Lewis' return throw from second and applied the tag on Matt Urakami to complete UCSD's lone double play on the day.
Leung finished 2-for-3 with his first collegiate two-double effort and an RBI. Cruz scored twice. Flatt drove in two runs.
Gappa (4-4) took the loss without allowing an earned run, striking out five. Myles Hager had two of CSUMB's six hits.
Game Two
UCSD allowed a season-high four long balls in the seven-inning nightcap. The Tritons cut into an early 7-0 deficit, later trailing 7-3 and 8-4, but a fly-ball double play punctuated by a throw to the plate deflated a potential rally in the sixth with the bases loaded and no outs, and a two-run Otter seventh put matters out of reach.
Hayden Duer hit his first two home runs, the second a deep solo shot to straightaway center to go back to back with Curtis Gomez during a four-run third. Gomez pulled his towering effort narrowly fair down the left field line. Kevin Davidson, the reigning CCAA Player of the Week who was 0-for-7 with five strikeouts to begin his series, launched his team-best 10th with a man on in the seventh. The junior remains the league's RBI leader with 45, ahead of Larsen's 36.
With the Tritons down 7-2 in the fourth, reliever John Erhardt ran himself in and out of trouble. After successive singles by Davidson and Chris Blanton, he posted two strikeouts in a row, getting Gomez looking and Duer swinging. A walk loaded the bases, but the redshirt freshman right-hander induced a fielder's choice grounder.
Down 8-3 in the sixth, UCSD opened with a five-pitch walk to pinch-hitter Tim White and an infield single by Howsley. Sanchez then sent a 2-2 offering down the right field line for an RBI single. The rally appeared on in earnest when Cruz worked a free pass to leave the bags full of Tritons, but Mann flied out to right field, and Brian Hamm gunned down Howsley trying to score from third. Larsen then grounded out.
Alon Leichman (5-2) was pinned with the loss for the Tritons, with four pitchers coming on in relief. Sanchez and Lewis each finished with three hits, of UCSD's seven, and one RBI apiece. Flatt walked twice and had two more RBI.
Jeff Owen (5-2) earned the win on the mound in a six-inning start for CSUMB.
Triton Notes: UCSD's ninth shutout as a pitching staff in 2015 adds to its program record for the Division II era since 2001 (previously seven), and also ranks second nationally this season in Division II, behind only Franklin Pierce's 10 ... Prior to back-to-back shutouts to open this weekend's home series with CSUMB, the Tritons produced three straight, all over Cal State Dominguez Hills, Feb. 19-21 ... UCSD last allowed four home runs in a single game against CSUDH on May 8, 2010, in Stockton ... Troy Cruz and Jack Larsen share the top spot in the CCAA in walks, at 29 each.
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