LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego led 2-0 through four innings, but Cal Poly Pomona tallied five unanswered runs the rest of the way to come away with a 5-2 win in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball Friday night at Triton Ballpark.
No. 17 UCSD fell to 23-10 overall and 19-6 in the CCAA with the defeat, but maintained a two-game cushion atop the standings. CPP, ranked 20th, improved to 23-9 overall and 15-7 in league play. The series was evened up after the Tritons won a 4-3 thriller in 11 innings late Thursday night.
UCSD put a pair of runners on base in each of the first four frames, finally managing the first two runs of the evening in the fourth. Erik Lewis took a close 1-2 pitch for a ball before hitting a leadoff single to center. CPP catcher Christian Kelley then made a great play on Brandon Shirley's bunt to get the lead runner at second, but the Tritons' redshirt sophomore centerfielder made up for it, and then some, by swiping both second and third, still with one away. The next batter struck out, however, but following a walk to Tyler Howsley, arguably UCSD's hottest hitter, junior Gradeigh Sanchez, came through by roping a first-pitch, two-run double over the rightfielder.
The Tritons were unable to produce the shutdown inning, as the Broncos pushed across three runs in the fifth to grab a 3-2 edge they would not relinquish. Nicholas Bruno's double, like Sanchez the inning prior, drove in two runs, tying the game, ahead of an RBI groundout by Kelley.
CPP tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth on another two-run double, this one by Matt Muñoz, that appeared to land right on the chalk down the left field line.
Ryan Olson (5-0) went six complete for the winning decision, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out six. He fanned the side around a walk and a hit batter in the first. Senior right-hander J.J. Franklin, after taking a blown save and subsequent losing decision Thursday night, threw the ninth for his league-leading 10th save.
Trevor Scott (4-5) was again the tough-luck loser for the Tritons, dominating early before the fifth-inning Bronco rally. The senior left-hander retired the first nine CPP batters in order ahead of a leadoff walk to Kelley in the fourth. That run included an incredible snare of a wicked liner back up the box that could very well have caused harm to Scott, only for him to get the glove up to turn away Caleb Romo. The three runs against him came on five hits and two walks. Scott struck out six.
Sanchez finished 1-for-3 with his two-run double and a pair of walks. Lewis was 2-for-4. UCSD matched its season high with four stolen bases on the night.
In addition to Scott's snatch in self-defense in the second, the Tritons had three other web gems on an error-free night for both sides. In the top of the sixth, Troy Cruz (Chula Vista/Bonita Vista HS) jumped up to snow-cone a high chopper by Romo on the edge of the infield grass, keeping the Bronco runner at third before firing to rob Romo again of a hit. Scott would get Muñoz looking to end that frame.
Shirley made an incredible catch on Bruno in the seventh, going full-sprint into the gap in right center before sliding to take extra bases away from the Bronco third baseman. In the eighth, it was senior right-hander Javier Carrillo, Jr.'s turn, as he pounced off the mound to gather Michael Zidek's sacrifice attempt to get the lead runner at third. The senior right-hander then struck out Romo before exiting, but Muñoz managed the big hit moments later.
UCSD did muster a minor threat in the ninth off of Franklin, with redshirt freshman Tim White producing a pinch-hit single up the middle with one out and Sanchez drawing a five-pitch walk with two away. A fielder's choice groundout ended it.
This series now shifts to Pomona and Scolinos Field, where it will conclude with a noon doubleheader on Saturday, April 4.
Triton Notes: Gradeigh Sanchez extended his career-best hit streak to 10 games, now the longest such streak by a Triton in 2015 ... Justin Flatt and Sanchez moved their respective reached-base streaks to 17 and 15, which lead the team ... Sanchez is batting .455 (20-for-44) during his 10-game hit streak ... The eighth-inning walk by Troy Cruz increased his league-leading total to 28 ... The result snapped UCSD's six-game home win streak.
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