LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball used a season-high four homers to win game two against UC Riverside, 12-6, on Saturday afternoon at Triton Ballpark.
With the win, the Tritons (17-23, 8-9 Big West) earn their third Big West series win of the season.
Michael Fuhrman finished the day 3-for-3 with a three-run homerun—his fourth of the season—four runs scored and two walks.
Anthony Lucchetti,
Ryan McNally and
Jalen Smith also knocked homeruns in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons struck first, scoring on a double down the left field line by
Crew Robinson to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
UC Riverside put three runs on the board with back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the third to take the, 3-1, lead. The Highlanders added another run in the top of the fifth to build a 4-1 lead.
The Tritons were not short on opportunities, advancing runners into scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings before cashing in with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to make it 4-2.
The following inning, the UC San Diego offense exploded, retaking the lead on a three-run homerun by Fuhrman—his fourth of the season. The Tritons added insurance runs with an RBI single by
Luke Saunders and a two-run homerun by J. Smith to take a commanding 8-4 lead.
The homerun parade wasn't over yet, as the Tritons added two more in the bottom of the eighth.
Ryan McNally knocked a two-run blast to left field and, after coming in as a pinch-hitter,
Anthony Lucchetti hit a two-run homer to right to make it a 12-4 ballgame.
The Highlanders got two runs back in the top of the ninth, but
Aren Alvarez and the Tritons held on to earn the 12-6 victory and take the series.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Starting pitcher Noah Conlon went 4.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
- Aren Alvarez (2-3) earned the win with 4.0 innings of work, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
- The Tritons tied their Division I record for most homeruns in a game with four. UC San Diego tallied four homeruns against UC Riverside last season (May 1, 2021) and at Cal Poly (March 27, 2021).
- Four Tritons recorded multi-RBI in the contest, including Michael Fuhrman, Anthony Lucchetti, Ryan McNally and Jalen Smith.
- Michael Fuhrman, Crew Robinson, Lukes Saunders and Jalen Smith recorded multi-hit performances.
- With the win, the Tritons improved to 4-2 in the all-time (D-I) series with UC Riverside and 2-0 this season.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will look for the sweep on Sunday in the finale with UC Riverside. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. 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.
