SAN MARCOS, Calif. - UC San Diego scored four in the first and rolled past Cal State San Marcos, 11-2, in the opener of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series at CSUSM Baseball Field on Friday.
The game started just under half an hour later than it was originally scheduled for, due to extra field preparation caused by earlier rain. The final out had barely been registered before the wet weather returned.
UCSD improved to 29-17 overall and 19-15 in the CCAA. CSUSM dropped a fourth straight, having allowed double-digit runs in each, and moved to 21-24 overall and 13-20 in league play. The contest marked the first regular-season meeting between the local foes since 2010, the very first in San Marcos, and also the initial matchup as CCAA opponents. The Cougars are first-year members of the league.
The Tritons batted around in the first and came up with four runs on four hits, two walks, two wild pitches and a Cougar error. Tim White lined Cameron MacKenzie's second offering into right center for a leadoff single. Gradeigh Sanchez then worked a walk and Jack Larsen bunted his teammates over. JD Hearn beat out an infield single for 1-0. Christian Leung followed by poking an RBI single of his own through the right side. Steven Coe (Valley Center/Valley Center HS) lifted a sacrifice fly to left, and Tyler Durna sent an opposite-field single, also to left, for 4-0.
After the lengthy top half, Kyle Mora issued a four-pitch walk to start the bottom, ahead of a single. The freshman right-hander caught Clinton Perez looking after the rightfielder was unable to lay the sacrifice down. Another single loaded the bases, but an infield fly and another called third strike got Mora out of the jam.
CSUSM used a leadoff single to advance runners to the corners in the second, but Mora again wiggled out of trouble, getting a popout for the third out.
The Tritons filled the bags in the third with one gone on a leadoff walk, single and infield error, and White came through with a two-run single through the right side.
A pair of one-out singles put Tritons at the corners in the seventh and signaled the end of MacKenzie's day. Marc Vela's first toss got past his catcher, however, for a wild pitch and UCSD's seventh run as Coe sprinted home.
The Tritons tacked on four in the ninth to perfectly bookend their day. Hearn walked to lead off, took second on a wild pitch, scooted to third on Leung's single, and trotted home on an outfield error. Moments later with the bases full, Tyler Howsley stroked a two-run double into the gap in left center. Mori's right-sided groundout brought in Tyler Plantier (Poway/Del Norte HS).
Mora (4-0) gave up no runs on three hits and three walks over 5.0 innings, striking out three. He set the Cougars down in order in the fourth. Mora got out of another situation in the fifth, inducing a flyout and popout after CSUSM had put two on via leadoff error and a walk.
Jonah Dipoto, like Mora a true freshman right-hander, took over to start the sixth and got a groundout after back-to-back two-out singles. Two more Cougars reached base with one away in the seventh, but a strikeout and ground ball kept the home side scoreless. Dipoto had two punchouts for his outing.
Redshirt freshman Cameron Kurz (Encinitas/La Costa Canyon HS) replaced Dipoto in the eighth, and it was more of the same, as CSUSM advanced runners to the corners once more on two singles and a wild pitch. Kurz promptly rolled leadoff man L.A. Gamo into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Hearn went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and one RBI in his first start in the cleanup spot. White was 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI at the top of the Triton order for just the fourth time. Durna wound up 2-for-4 with an RBI. Leung was 2-for-5 with a run and RBI. Coe went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and one RBI.
Durna made a spectacular play in the third, diving to his right to corral the ball before getting it over to Mora just in time for the second out. Larsen actually had to range into the gap in right center to make a tough grab to end that frame, ultimately colliding a bit with centerfielder Brandon Shirley. Both remained in the ballgame.
MacKenzie (4-5) went 6.1 frames and allowed seven runs on 10 hits and three walks. The senior right-hander struck out six, turning in the first perfect inning by either side in the top of the fourth on a popout, groundout and swinging strikeout. MacKenzie retired UCSD in order in the fifth as well, and in fact sent back eight straight Tritons in between White singles. Vela had a 1-2-3 eighth.
Brandon Bentson pulled a two-run home run over the right field fence, his second on the year, with one out in the ninth to break up what would have been UCSD's second shutout of 2016. The shot also kept CSUSM from being blanked for a second consecutive contest.
UCSD and Cal State San Marcos continue their series with a doubleheader in La Jolla on Saturday, May 7. First pitch on Senior Day at Triton Ballpark is set for 12 p.m. Five seniors will be recognized in between games of the twin bill.
Triton Notes: UCSD is 28-4 when it scores three runs or more in 2016, and 8-9 on the road ... Tyler Howsley has started 103 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 46 games in 2016 ... Kyle Mora drew his seventh start ... Larsen's first-inning sacrifice was his fourth, with Steven Coe's sacrifice fly his second, for his 10th RBI ... Vince Mori entered defensively at third base to begin the home half of the seventh after not appearing in the previous four contests ... UCSD's double play to end the eighth was its 44th on the year, second in the CCAA behind CSUSM's 45 ... Howsley's ninth-inning double was his second.
#TritonsRising
