SAN DIEGO, Calif – The UC San Diego baseball team dropped their first game of the season against San Diego State 10-4 at Tony Gywnn Stadium. After taking a 4-0 lead in the fourth, the Aztecs scored 10 unanswered runs to claim the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons struck first when
Anthony Lucchetti hit the ball over the center field fence for a three-run homerun in the third inning.
Tate Soderstrom took the first pitch and rocketed the ball for another home run to increase the Tritons' lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning.
The Aztec offense cut into the Tritons lead in the sixth inning thanks to some timely hitting and a pair of miscues from the Tritons. San Diego State's Orr looked to steal third with the Aztecs down 4-3 but the Tritons were able to get the out and end the inning.
San Diego State took the 10-4 lead in the seventh, taking advantage of a couple of wild pitches and Triton errors. The seven runs scored by the Aztecs proved to be the difference and San Diego State came away with the win.
FROM THE COACH
"I thought we came out early and established ourselves pretty well," stated Head Coach
Eric Newman. "Cam was throwing it well and the offense was really doing a good job making it tough on a good arm. Obviously, we left quite a few plays on the field in the sixth and seventh, and those were the game. I really liked the way we competed on the mound and at the plate for six innings, now we have to learn to finish."
TRITON TIDBITS
- Cameron Leonard got the start on the mound and allowed four hits, two earned runs, one walk and one strikeout through five innings of work.
- The Tritons had six errors compared to the Aztecs one.
- Michael Mitchell took the loss for the Tritons. Despite the defense giving up seven runs in the inning, only one was earned.
- UC San Diego batting fared well against the Mountain West Preseason Pitcher of the year Troy Melton. They held him to 4.2 innings of work and recorded three hits, four runs and earned four walks.
- Soderstrom and Paul Gozzo earned their first starts as members of the UC San Diego baseball team.
UP NEXT
The Tritons are back at Tony Gywnn Stadium Saturday February 27 for a 1 p.m. game.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
Return To Sport… Safely
In order for UC San Diego scholar-athletes to be permitted to return to training and competition safely and within federal, state, local, and university guidelines, the athletic department implemented a number of measures designed to complement and enhance the university's highly-successful Return To Learn program. Notable actions include being physically distanced when practical, including during out-of-season training sessions; wearing masks, except when undergoing physically strenuous exercise; and maintaining proper hygiene. Athletes, coaches, and staff are testing at a higher frequency than the campus population, teams adhere to CDC, NCAA, and Big West Conference guidelines, and department officials participate in regular meetings with conference and university-affiliated physicians and the UC San Diego emergency operations staff.
