LA JOLLA, Calif. - The University of California San Diego was unable to hold leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 5-2, ultimately dropping a 6-5 decision to Cal State LA in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball action Friday night at Triton Ballpark.
The defeat snapped UC San Diego's season-best win streak at nine, moving it to 29-14 overall and 25-13 in the CCAA. Cal State LA put an end to a three-game slide and improved to 23-20 overall and 20-18 in league play. The result also evened the four-game series at one game apiece, the Tritons having taken Thursday's home date, 6-3.
UC San Diego also fell a game further back of 16th-ranked league leader Cal State Monterey Bay (32-11, 26-11 CCAA), now in second by 1.5 games after the Otters beat visiting San Francisco State on Friday, 15-6.
The home side struck first in the initial frame. With two outs, Zander Clarke reached as starting pitcher Joey Deceglie committed a fielding error on his comebacker. The rightfielder advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored as fellow junior Alex Eliopulos (La Jolla/La Jolla HS) dropped a 1-2 offering into center for an RBI single, giving the third baseman the CCAA lead back in the RBI category, 55-54 over Clarke.
The teams traded single tallies in the second, answering each other's scores. The CSULA second began with three consecutive singles, tying the game, before junior left-hander Preston Mott induced a key double play, the first of a season-high three for the Tritons on the night, of the 4-6-3 variety. Senior second baseman Justin Beck charged the play, spun and flipped to shortstop Shay Whitcomb, who fired to Tyler Durna at first base. A flyout ended the inning and stranded a runner at third base.
Beck then began the home second with a sharp single to right center. He moved to second on a groundout, and with two gone, scored on Whitcomb's solid first-pitch single down the left field line.
The visitors leveled again in the fourth. Mott got two Golden Eagles looking, the latter on a 3-2 change-up, around a Nate Alam single, but back-to-back singles by Jordan Peabody and Anthony Moreno, plated Alam.
UC San Diego broke the 2-2 deadlock in the bottom of the fourth thanks to another two-out, run-scoring knock by Whitcomb, this one a three-run home run deep to left center. It was Whitcomb's third this season and first at Triton Ballpark, coming after walks to Keenan Brigman to lead off and Michael Palos with one away.
Cal State LA pulled one back in the fifth. The Golden Eagles then tied the game again with two in the sixth without the benefit of a hit, cashing in four walks, with the runs coming home on a wild pitch and a passed ball.
That set up the ninth inning, with Cal State LA sending the top of its order to the plate, and the Tritons their 2-3-4 hitters. The Golden Eagles got a one-out hit-by-pitch and moved him around for what proved to be the winner. UC San Diego got a leadoff hit-by-pitch to Durna, but failed to come up with the equalizer.
Senior closer Cameron Kurz (Encinitas/La Costa Canyon HS) got the one-pitch first out in that ninth, before the hit-by-pitch on his very next toss. His third offering was lined into right center by slugger Jorge Garcia to put Golden Eagles at the corners. Sean Watkins laced an RBI single up the middle on a 1-2 pitch moments later. Kurz (3-1) curbed the damage through a fielder's choice grounder and called third strike to keep the Tritons in it, but would still take his first loss.
Watkins in fact trotted in to the mound from center field after Durna was plunked, and got a flyout, swinging strikeout and called third strike to notch his fourth save.
Mott went the first five innings allowing three runs on 10 hits without a walk. He struck out four. Blaine Jarvis got a popout to end the sixth with the score tied at 5-5 and runners at first and second. The redshirt sophomore right-hander then worked around a leadoff hit-by-pitch in the seventh, getting a three-pitch swinging strikeout followed by a bouncer right into the glove of Durna, who started the 3-6 inning-ending double play. Jarvis also tossed a perfect eighth on 10 pitches through a lineout and two groundouts. Durna handled the hop from Whitcomb's throw on the first one.
Whitcomb finished 2-for-5 with the home run, run and season-high four RBI. UC San Diego was out-hit, 12-5.
The series shifts to Los Angeles and Reeder Field on the Cal State LA campus for its conclusion on Saturday, April 28. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
Triton Notes: Alex Eliopulos is the only Triton to start or even appear in all 43 games ... Preston Mott drew his team-leading 11th start ... UC San Diego had won nine straight contests last season as well, from Feb. 11-March 4 ... Keenan Brigman's fourth-inning stolen base was his sixth on seven tries ... Brandon Stewart's eighth-inning double was his fifth.
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