LA JOLLA, Calif. - Fifth-ranked UC San Diego suffered a nightmare nine-run eighth inning in losing to Cal State LA, 9-1, in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball action at Triton Ballpark on Saturday afternoon.
UCSD fell to 15-4 overall and 5-2 in the CCAA. CSULA moved to 6-12 overall and an identical 5-2 in league play as the teams once again share the top spot in the CCAA South. The sides had split their first two meetings, with the Golden Eagles pulling out a 3-2 walk-off triumph in 11 innings at home on Thursday night, and the Tritons producing a 7-3 victory in La Jolla on Friday night.
The result wasted a seven-inning shutout gem by true freshman left-hander Preston Mott. It was a career-long outing for the Clovis product, who scattered five hits and a walk, while striking out one to give him 10 punchouts on the year. He retired the first batter in each of the first six innings, before an infield single to begin the seventh. He cleaned that up with two groundouts and a sharp lineout to leftfielder Gradeigh Sanchez with the runner getting stranded at third. Mott turned in just one perfect frame, that in the sixth, with two-out singles in three of the first four. He has now tossed four shutout frames for openers in three of his four starts this year.
The disastrous eighth saw 14 CSULA batters, six hits, four walks, one hit-by-pitch and three Triton errors, though all nine runs were credited as earned. It all started with a hit batter, and featured a three-run double to left by Christian Broussard, Jr., and a two-run triple down the right field line by Angel Sanchez. Five UCSD pitchers saw action in the frame.
UCSD had finally broken a scoreless deadlock in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by junior rightfielder Christian Leung, but should have and could have gotten more. The inning began with a walk to Jack Larsen and single through the left side by Tyler Plantier (Poway/Del Norte HS). Vince Mori (Oceanside/Palomar College/Westview HS) laid down a bunt, and CSULA first baseman Dakota Hernandez tried to get the lead runner, only for Larsen to beat the throw. Leung lifted his fly ball, but a popout and strikeout limited the damage against starter Mitchell Moore.
Justin Davis (1-2) earned the win with three innings of shutout relief. Erik Amundson (1-1) took the loss. UCSD managed a season-low four hits on the day.
The series finale is tentatively still set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Cal State LA's Reeder Field, pending weather conditions. It would be a seven-inning contest.
Triton Notes: UCSD is 0-4 when scoring less than three runs ... Tyler Howsley has started 76 straight games, all at shortstop, dating back to the 2015 opener ... Preston Mott made his fourth start for UCSD, and has still yet to earn a decision ... The Golden Eagles' nine-run eighth was the largest by a Triton opponent in 2016 ... The nine runs were a season high allowed by UCSD pitching.
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