LA JOLLA, Calif. - Junior outfielder Christian Leung's RBI single with two outs in the eighth broke a 2-2 deadlock and propelled UC San Diego to a 3-2 victory over San Francisco State University Sunday at Triton Ballpark.
It was a third successive one-run triumph for the Tritons, who completed the sweep of the three-game weekend California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series. UCSD had procured another pair of one-run decisions to grab both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, 6-5 in 11 innings and 8-7 in nine, to clinch the set.
Sunday's result meant home win No. 20 on the year for UCSD, which improved to 26-13 overall and 16-11 in the CCAA. The Tritons are 20-6 in La Jolla. SF State, a victor of seven of nine heading into Saturday, fell to 16-17 overall and 9-13 in league play. With Cal Poly Pomona's come-from-behind 10-7 home win over Chico State on Sunday, UCSD stays one game back of CPP in second in the CCAA South Division.
Junior infielder JD Hearn added to his torrid weekend, providing a third successive three-hit game. He finished 3-for-4 and scored his team's final two runs. For the series, he batted .643 (9-for-14) with five runs, two doubles, a triple, four RBI, 13 total bases for a .929 slugging percentage, two stolen bases on two tries, and a perfect 1.000 fielding mark at second and third base on 14 chances. The UC Santa Barbara transfer lifted his season average from .228 to .283.
Having just allowed a tying run in the top half, UCSD opened the home eighth with another Hearn single stroked out to left. Jack Larsen produced his third sacrifice bunt to advance his teammate into scoring position, and Hearn scooted over to third on Tyler Plantier's (Poway/Del Norte HS) flyout. That brought up Leung, who had started in right but moved over to left in the seventh. Having gone 1-for-24 this season with two outs, he wasted no time in pulling a first-pitch RBI single through the right side to send Hearn across the plate with what proved to be the decider.
Tim Nelson (7-1) was the pitcher of record, and came back out for the ninth to retire the Gators in order on seven pitches through a groundout and two flyouts. The true freshman right-hander out of Chino Hills thus notched his seventh win, all in relief, leading the CCAA in that category by himself. It was his second win of the series.
For the third straight game in the weekend series, Triton head coach Eric Newman gave the ball to a true freshman on the mound, with right-hander Jonah Dipoto earning his first collegiate starting assignment. Dipoto worked out of trouble in the first two frames before surrendering a single score in the third. He fanned a pair.
In fact, each of the first five half-innings saw the starter put two opposing batters on base. SF State junior Ryan Bohnet managed to wriggle out of all three of his unscathed. Finally in the top of the third, the Gators got to Dipoto. For the second consecutive frame, Dipoto registered the first two outs with ease, all on the infield, before a hit-by-pitch and single each time. While he got out of the second, he let up an infield RBI single to open the scoring in that third. Leftfielder Justin Flatt still then had to make a nice running catch toward the wall to prevent further damage.
The Tritons used considerable fortune to tie it in the fourth as Leung roped a ball toward the first baseman that took an unbelievable hop and skipped right over Chad Thurston for a double into the corner. A passed ball to get Leung to third was key, as Flatt sent a sacrifice fly to center moments later for an unearned equalizer.
UCSD then grabbed a 2-1 edge in the sixth as Hearn and Larsen both singled to right to lead things off, the latter coming on a perfect hit-and-run with Hearn winding up on third. Plantier grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with the next pitch, but Hearn was able to score.
A third true freshman right-hander, Kyle Lucke, took over for Dipoto to begin the fourth and mowed down all 12 batters he faced, in order, through the seventh, with four strikeouts. He finally walked the leadoff man in the eighth to end his strong day. Jack Rupe, Jr. (San Marcos/Mission Hills HS) induced a pair of flyouts around a wild pitch that put Gator shortstop Bryce Brooks on second. Dalton Pizzuti then knocked him in off of Nelson with a sharp single to center. The ball actually got through for a two-base error that left Pizzuti at third, but Nelson, after plunking Thurston, fielded Joe Chedid's curious bunt and tossed to Flatt without difficulty for the third out.
Leung and Flatt backed Hearn's effort with two hits apiece, each with an RBI. Leung had the double and run scored. Larsen was 2-for-3 with his sacrifice. The Tritons, who began the weekend as the CCAA leaders in walks for a third straight year, failed to draw a base on balls for just the second time in 2016.
Peter Reyes (1-1) was pinned with the loss after his one-inning relief stint for Bohnet. Pizzuti had two of the Gators' four hits on the afternoon, with an RBI.
UCSD heads to Northern California for a third time this season, next weekend, for a three-game series in Seaside at North leader Cal State Monterey Bay (26-11, 15-10 CCAA). The doubleheader on Saturday, April 23, is set for an 11 a.m. first pitch.
Triton Notes: UCSD is 25-3 in 2016 when it scores three runs or more and 11-5 in one-run games ... The Tritons have played five straight one-run games, going 4-1 ... Tyler Howsley has started 96 straight games, all at shortstop, dating back to the 2015 opener ... Howsley and Jack Larsen are the only Tritons to start or even appear in all 39 games in 2016 ... Gradeigh Sanchez missed a third straight contest, his first three of the year, but is slated to be back next weekend ... Justin Flatt, who led the team with 44 starts in left field in 2015, drew his first start there, with his only previous outfield start in 2016 coming in right ... Flatt extended his current team-best streaks to a career-high 10 games with a hit and 11 straight reaching base ... Senior first baseman Zach Friedman made his first appearance since April 2 and drew his first start since Feb. 13 ... Tim White occupied the leadoff spot in the order for the second time this year, both Triton wins ... UCSD and next week's road opponent, CSUMB, each achieved their CCAA-leading 26th wins of the year Sunday.
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