LA JOLLA, Calif. - The University of California San Diego baseball team rallied from a 2-0 first-inning deficit to win its season-best ninth straight, 6-3 over Cal State LA, in the opener of a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series at Triton Ballpark on Thursday night.
With the result, UC San Diego improved to 29-13 overall and 25-12 in the CCAA. A third defeat in a row dropped Cal State LA to 22-20 overall and 19-18 in league play.
UC San Diego remains alone in second in the CCAA standings, now just half a game behind No. 16 Cal State Monterey Bay (31-11, 25-11 CCAA), which was idle. In fact, there were no other games Thursday in the CCAA. CSULA falls half a game back of the all-important sixth spot, with the top six teams qualifying for the CCAA Championship. The Tritons' magic number to clinch a fifth successive berth is down to one or two. One more victory over the Golden Eagles this week, would send them to Stockton.
A pair of locals bookended the home side's triumph. Redshirt junior third baseman Alex Eliopulos' (La Jolla/La Jolla HS) two-run double tied it right away in the first inning, with the Tritons going ahead in the second and adding a three-run fourth. Senior closer Cameron Kurz (Encinitas/La Costa Canyon HS) struck out all four batters he faced to earn his eighth save. He has now struck out his last 10 hitters, having fanned all six in a two-inning stint last Saturday at Cal State San Bernardino. The 10 successive strikeouts is likely a program record, but that standard is not kept.
Senior right-hander Mitch Hickey (4-3) went 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch. He struck out five.
Hickey looked like he may navigate around a leadoff double in the first, by getting a called third strike and a foulout, but 2017 San Francisco Giants draftee Sean Watkins sent an opposite-field triple inside the right field line to put the visitors on the board, and fellow senior Jorge Garcia poked an RBI single up the middle for an early 2-0 lead.
UC San Diego got both runs right back in its first turn. True freshman shortstop Shay Whitcomb worked a four-pitch walk, and with one away, junior rightfielder Zander Clarke doubled to the opposite field, into the gap in right center, to put both Tritons in scoring position. Eliopulos picked them both up by roping a two-run double, on a 2-2 pitch, into the right field corner.
The Tritons took the lead in the second through a two-out rally. Redshirt freshman centerfielder Brandon Stewart drew a six-pitch walk, swiped his team-best eighth base, and sprinted around third to score on Whitcomb's sharp single to left.
In the fourth came the only other runs the hosts would need. Redshirt sophomore catcher Nick Kitzmann was plunked with one away to get things going. Stewart laid down a perfect bunt single, and Whitcomb was also hit to fill the bags. Junior first baseman Tyler Durna chopped one to first baseman Nic Bereaud, and he naturally came home, but skipped his throw such that Kitzmann was safe. The play went down as a fielder's choice for Durna, with Kitzmann scoring on Bereaud's error.
Clarke then promptly stepped up and dropped a two-run single in front of Watkins in center field for a 6-2 advantage.
The Tritons definitely still had some bullets to dodge. Hickey notched a called third strike with men at first and third to get out of the second. His lone 1-2-3 effort, with two strikeouts around a groundout, then served as a second consecutive shutdown frame in the third. CSULA produced multiple base-runners in each of the next three innings, without a single run to show for it.
A two-out hit-by-pitch in the fourth snapped a string of seven straight retired by Hickey. It followed a swinging strikeout and a comebacker that the Oregon State transfer made a real nice play on to knock the ball down and still find it in time to register the second out. An infield error compounded Hickey's troubles, and a four-pitch walk loaded the bases. A routine flyout to center thankfully ended that threat.
Watkins singled and Garcia walked with one away in the fifth. Senior second baseman Justin Beck then charged to corral Bereaud's grounder, and was deftly able to tag Garcia and flip to Durna in time to complete the big inning-ending double play.
Hickey was chased by a one-out double and ensuing single in the sixth to put Golden Eagles at the corners. Junior right-hander Kyle Lucke took over and got Anthony Ayala staring at a third strike on the outside corner, and then induced a fielder's choice groundout to maintain the 6-2 cushion.
The Tritons made a bid for more in the sixth, as Stewart walked to lead off, Durna stroked a 1-2 pitch to right with one gone and Eliopulos also drew a free pass to load them up with two outs, but a called third strike got Cal State LA out of the jam.
Spencer Sundahl's third home run of the season led off the seventh, pulled over the wall in right, but that was it for the scoring on the night.
Lucke would provide 2.1 solid innings with just the solo blast against him, but exited after a second Triton error to begin the eighth preceded his lone walk of the night with two away. That's what Kurz entered the fray to do his thing, initially fanning Andre Gregory to end the eighth, before flaming through the ninth as well.
Clarke wound up 3-for-5 with a double, run and two RBI. Eliopulos was 1-for-4 with his two-run double and a walk, and added a spectacular defensive play for the first out of the seventh, ranging to his left to gather a chopper, spinning and firing across.
Whitcomb went 1-for-3 with a walk, hit-by-pitch, two runs and an RBI. Stewart finished 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and a steal. Fourteen of Kurz's 21 pitches went for strikes. The Tritons and Golden Eagles were even at eight hits apiece.
Cal State LA starter Angel Lerma (2-5) gave up all six runs, five of them earned, on six hits, three walks and two hit-by-pitches over 5.1 frames. The junior right-hander struck out three. Ayala was 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a run scored.
UC San Diego and Cal State LA continue their series with another primetime affair at Triton Ballpark on East Campus in La Jolla on Friday night, April 27. First pitch is again set for 6 p.m.
Triton Notes: Alex Eliopulos is the only Triton to start or even appear in all 42 games ... Mitch Hickey made his 11th mound appearance, earning his ninth start as a Triton ... Justin Beck had his reached-base streak snapped at 27 contests, finishing 0-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt ... The Tritons' streak of consecutive games tallying at least nine runs was also ended, at seven, as well as a four-game stretch of double-digit scoring ... UC San Diego won nine straight contests last season as well, from Feb. 11-March 4 ... Zander Clarke's first-inning double was his 10th, and Eliopulos' his eighth ... Brandon Stewart is a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts ... Nick Kitzmann's fourth-inning hit-by-pitch was his team-best 17th ... With two more RBI apiece tonight, Clarke and Eliopulos still share the CCAA lead in that category at 54 each.
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