SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The UC San Diego baseball team won its first Division I game in history with a 9-3 victory over San Diego State at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Tritons now sit at 1-1 while San Diego State drops to 3-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Anthony Lucchetti drove
Blake Baumgartner in to give a 1-0 lead to the Tritons to start the first inning.
Marc Filia and
Blake FitzGerald recorded back-to-back hits in the fourth inning to get on base.
Noah Sudyka put down the squeeze to drive Filia in and arrived safely at first. With bases loaded, San Diego State made a pitching change.
Everett Lau took the first pitch and drove it down the right field line for a ground rule double and to increase the Tritons' lead to 4-0.
The Aztecs cut the lead down to one with a three-run home run from Jalen Fein in the fourth inning.
The Tritons loaded the bases in the fifth inning and brought in two runs with back-to-back RBI walks from
Devon Hawks and
Everett Lau to increase their lead to 6-3. The Aztecs looked to cut the lead with a runner in scoring position in the seventh, but
Noah Conlon was able to deliver the strikeout to get the Tritons out of the inning.
Lau hit a solo home run to start the eighth inning. With one out, the Aztecs intentionally walked
Tate Soderstrom to go for a double play that would end the inning. Filia registered an RBI walk and
Blake FitzGerald hit a sacrifice fly to increase the Triton lead to 9-3. That cushion and a strong Tritons defense proved to be enough to give the Tritons the win.
FROM THE COACH
"The significance of this win is not lost on us as a group. I really want to express to everyone who has ever put on the Triton uniform that we were all thinking about you," stated Head Coach
Eric Newman. "We knew many were following and rooting us on and we could feel that. I thought we came out today in a good frame of mind and the guys executed our game plan offensively really well. We defended well, pitched well and were able to finish."
TWEET OF THE DAY
TRITON TIDBITS
- Marc Filia earned his first start at catcher. Previous starts have been in the outfield or at DH. Filia hit a double and added an RBI.
- Everett Lau finished with a team high four RBIs. He went 2-for-5 at the plate and was walked once.
- The Aztecs out hit the Tritons 9-8 but the Tritons made up for that by registering 10 walks compared to the Aztecs 3.
- Soderstrom and Filia both registered stolen bases with Filia recording his first of his career.
- Luke Mattson earned the win for the Tritons.
UP NEXT
The Tritons close out the series with a double header at Triton Ballpark on Sunday, February 28.
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 has begun a new era 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 II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered 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. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDTritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
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.
