LONG BEACH, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball fell to Long Beach State, 4-0, in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Blair Field. The Tritons earned their first Big West series win earlier in the weekend, finishing 2-1 against the Dirtbags.
 
The Tritons (11-16, 3-3 Big West) were held to just two hits in the contest, with Michael Fuhrman finishing 1-for-2 with a walk and Marc Filia going 1-for-4 on the day. Ryan Forcucci was credited with the loss, pitching 3.0 innings and allowing two runs—one earned—on five hits with three strikeouts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dirtbags (14-12, 4-5 Big West) scored on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the first to take an early, 1-0, lead and added another run in the bottom of the third. 
 
UC San Diego got its best opportunity of the day in the top of the fourth inning, loading the bases with two walks and a single by Filia but with two outs, a strikeout ended the threat without a run. In the bottom of the inning, LBSU struck again with a two-run homerun to left to extend its lead 4-0. 
 
Long Beach State continued to be aggressive at the plate, advancing two runners into scoring position in the sixth and another in the seventh. Nolan McCracken and the Triton defense held the Dirtbags off the board to keep the deficit at four.
 
UC San Diego's offense stalled down the stretch, bringing just one batter over the minimum to the plate in the final five innings.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Starting pitcher Ryan Forcucci (0-3) went 3.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
• Marc Filia and Michael Fuhrman were the only Tritons to register a hit in the contest.
• The Tritons were held to their lowest hit total of the season (2), after their previous low of three in a 7-0 loss to Cal Poly (March 25).
• With the loss, UC San Diego fell to 3-4 in the all-time series with LBSU but took the season series 2-1.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego will return to Triton Ballpark for a midweek matchup with the University of San Diego on Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ 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.