SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—After a tough loss in Friday's opener, UC San Diego baseball bounced back to defeat Michigan, 11-2, in game two of the MLB Desert Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Salt River Fields. The Tritons (1-1) got their first program victory over a Big Ten opponent, topping the Wolverines (1-2) in their first-ever meeting.
 
Sophomore Ryan Forcucci and junior Ryan Rissas held the Wolverines to six hits, combining to strike out 13 batters.
 
The Triton's lineup did not disappoint, collecting 11 runs on 16 hits. Jalen Smith finished the day 2-for-5 with a two-RBI triple and Nick Costello knocked the first home run of the season for UC San Diego—and the first of his collegiate career—a pinch-hit three-run blast in the ninth. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Michigan clinched the lead early in the second inning scoring an RBI single, but that did not stop the Tritons from responding with two runs in the top of the third. With triples from Matt Halbach and Michael Fuhrman to start the inning, the Tritons were able to produce some clutch hitting to take the lead, 2-1. 
 
With great pitching performances by Forcucci and Rissas, the Tritons kept the Michigan offense quiet for most of the contest.
 
UC San Diego was able to rack up runs on the scoreboard in the sixth inning by taking advantage of a walk and fielder's choice. With runners in scoring position, Smith tripled to left field scoring both Luke Saunders and Luke Glascoe and the Tritons extended their lead over Michigan, 5-2, going into the seventh inning. 
 
In the late innings, UC San Diego put the game out of reach with an RBI double from Emiliano Gonzalez, an RBI triple from Noah Sudyka, and a sac-fly by Brock Kleszcz, scoring 3 runs in the seventh. Nick Costello's three-run homer in the final inning sealed the first victory of the season for the Tritons, 11-2.
 
QUOTABLE
"Really proud of the way we bounced back today," said UC San Diego head coach Eric Newman. "Players did a nice job of turning the page from yesterday and really digging in."

"Ryan (Forcucci) was really good and once he started landing the off-speed in the middle of the second inning his stuff got really special."

"We played with our identity today and it was fun to watch them compete." 
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Starter Ryan Forcucci secured his first win of the season, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
• Ryan Rissas earned the save, going 4.0 innings out of the bullpen and allowing one run on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
• Jalen Smith, Matt Halbach, Michael Fuhrman, and Noah Sudyka all had triples in the contest. 
• Nick Costello hit his first collegiate home run.
• Saturday's game marked the Tritons first ever match up with the Michigan Wolverines and first win over a Big Ten opponent in program history.  

UP NEXT
Next up, the Tritons will take on No. 2 Tennessee on day three of the MLB Desert Invitational. Sunday's game against the Vols is set for 11 a.m. PT first pitch at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. The game will be streamed on mlb.com 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 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 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.