LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego baseball recorded its first program win over Washington, 7-2, to open a four-game series on Friday evening in Triton Ballpark.
 
The Tritons (5-1) were led by Anthony Lucchetti, who finished 3-for-4 with a solo home run and three runs scored. Matt Halbach had another solid performance for UC San Diego as well, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI, including a solo home run. Starter Matthew Dalquist (1-0) earned the victory on the mound, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing just one run on six hits with four strikeouts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by Crew Robinson and a two-run single by Austin Smith. The Tritons tacked on two more in the bottom of the third with an RBI single from Marc Filia and a sac-fly from Halbach to give UC San Diego a comfortable 5-0 lead.
 
Dalquist was stellar in his second start for the Tritons, retiring the first six Huskies (3-2) in order. The freshman right-hander held the Huskies scoreless through the first three innings, allowing just one run in his 6.1 innings of work.
 
UC San Diego added insurance runs in the fifth and seventh innings with solo homers from Halbach and Lucchetti. 
 
The Huskies got on the board once more in the top of the 8th, but the Triton lead would prove to be enough. Sam Hasegawa closed out the ninth with three-straight strikeouts to secure the victory in the series opener.
 

B7 | THAT ONE'S WAAAAYYYYYY OUTTA HERE! Look out on the trolly tracks! ?? Anthony Lucchetti ?? goes deep for the second time this year

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— UC San Diego Baseball (@UCSDbsb) February 26, 2022

 
QUOTABLE
"Matthew Dalquist pitched great tonight," said UC San Diego head coach Eric Newman. "He really commanded his fast ball well all night long and got the off speed going the second time through the order."
 
"He pitched out of the jam in the 4th with a ton of poise, which was great to see. The bullpen was solid and attacked the zone as well."
 
"Offensively we were really solid today. The first inning was a great start, particularly with Austin [Smith] delivering the 2 strike 2 out RBI at bat. Matt Halbach, Bubba [Filia] and Anthony Lucchetti had really good AB's all day as well."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Starting pitcher Matthew Dalquist (Fr., RHP) went 6.1 innings, allowing one run on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
• Five Tritons including Marc Filia, Matt Halbach, Anthony Lucchetti, Crew Robinson and Austin Smith tallied RBI in the contest.
• With the win, the Tritons improve to 1-1 in the all-time series with Washington.
• Matt Halbach and Anthony Lucchetti both notched their second home runs of the season in the contest. 
• UC San Diego is 2-0 against Pac-12 opponents after defeating USC earlier this week.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego will host Washington for games two and three of the series on Saturday. Game one of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. and the second game will begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first. The games will be streamed free on the UCSD Livestream and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 
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 38 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.