LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball defeated UC Riverside in the series opener, 7-3, on Thursday evening in Triton Ballpark. The Tritons (17-6, 4-3 Big West) scored in every inning but the second to move to 10-2 in the Division I era against the Highlanders (9-13, 0-4 Big West).
 
Spencer Seid (3-0) earned the victory out of the bullpen, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Izaak Martinez earned his sixth save of the season, pitching the final 2.0 innings and allowing two hits and no runs while collecting four strikeouts.
 
Benjamin Rosengard finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while Michael Crossland went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Emiliano Gonzalez turned in the only multi-RBI performance of the night, driving in two runs while five other Tritons recorded an RBI. Nick Costello went 1-for-2 with three walks, two runs scored and an RBI.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the fourth game in a row, the Tritons gave up one run in the first inning. UC Riverside was first to strike, scoring on a two-out RBI single to lead 1-0. UC San Diego responded in the bottom of the inning when Rosengard hit an RBI single to score Costello and tie the game, 1-1.
 
The second inning was the only frame without a run for the home team. The Tritons were retired with three fly-outs for their only 1-2-3 inning of the night.
 
UC San Diego took its first lead of the contest in the bottom of the third inning, scoring on a sac-fly by Gonzalez to score Costello once again. The Highlanders tied the game once again an inning later, scoring from third on a wild pitch to make it 2-2.
 
Anthony Potestio put the Tritons in front for good in the fourth inning with an RBI single up the middle. UC San Diego added to its lead in the fifth after Patrick Hackworth reached on a fielder's choice and a throwing error by UCR allowed Rosengard to score from second. 
 
Gonzalez added another insurance run in the sixth with an infield single to score Crossland from second and the Triton led, 5-2.
 
The Highlanders got a run back in the seventh with an RBI single. UC San Diego responded once again in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases before Costello drew a two-out walk to bring in the sixth run of the night, 6-3. 
 
Martinez entered for the Tritons in the eighth, retiring UC Riverside in order with a quick 1-2-3 inning. UC San Diego added its final run in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double off the wall in left center field for Colton Lomanto to make it 7-3.
 
In the top of the ninth, back-to-back singles put two Highlanders on with no outs. Martinez then dialed up three consecutive strikeouts to shut down the rally and secure his sixth save of the season. 
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Nic Gregson got the start on the mound in his first appearance of the season.
• Devon King made his collegiate debut, collecting his first strikeout in the second inning.
• Six different Tritons recorded an RBI in the contest, led by Emiliano Gonzalez with two.
• UC San Diego moved to 13-15 in the all-time series against UC Riverside and 10-2 in the Division I series.

UP NEXT
The Tritons will face UC Riverside in game two of the weekend series on Friday at 2 p.m. in Triton Ballpark. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics 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.