LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball fell to USD, 5-2, on Tuesday evening in Triton Ballpark to begin a five-game homestand. The Tritons (17-9) battled to a 2-2 tie with the Toreros (12-14-1) heading into the ninth inning before USD secured the victory with three runs in the ninth.
 
The Tritons stranded 10 base runners in the contest, with Luke Saunders finishing 1-for-3 with a run scored. Nick Costello reached base in all four plate appearances, being hit by a pitch three times and walking once, scoring the other run for UC San Diego. Doyle Kane was credited with the only RBI for the Tritons in the contest.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Toreros took an early 2-0 after scoring a run in the second and a run in the third. The Tritons answered quickly, scoring in the bottom of the third when Kane drove in a run on a fielder's choice.
 
UC San Diego tied the game an inning later in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch to make it 2-2. The Tritons had the go-ahead run on third with one out but were unable to bring him in, stranding two runners in the inning.
 
The Toreros continued to threaten, getting runners into scoring position in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings but each time the Tritons were able to work out of the inning unscathed.
 
UC San Diego saw its best opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning, with two runners on base and two outs. A strikeout ended the rally for the Tritons and sent the game to the ninth still knotted at 2-2.
 
USD scored three runs on three hits to retake the lead for good. The Tritons mounted a final comeback in the bottom of the ninth after a leadoff single and a hit batsman placed two runners on with two outs, however UC San Diego was unable to cash in.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Doyle Kane recorded the only RBI for the Tritons.
• Ethan Holt (2-1) was credited with the loss, pitching 1.1 innings.
• UC San Diego used eight pitchers in the game, compared to nine for USD.
• The Tritons stranded 10 base runners, compared to 11 for the Toreros.
• The Tritons fell to 0-7 in the Division I series with USD.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons will continue to a five-game homestand in Triton Ballpark with a three-game series against UC Davis on Thursday at 6 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 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.