FULLERTON, Calif.— UC San Diego baseball defeated Cal State Fullerton, 9-5, on Saturday evening at Goodwin Field. The Tritons (11-7, 3-2 Big West) scored five runs in the first and never looked back, taking game two with the Titans (5-13, 0-5 Big West) and moving to 2-0 in the weekend series.
 
J.C. Allen delivered a standout performance for the Tritons, recording three hits in five at-bats, including a double and a home run and driving in four runs. Michael Crossland and Trevian Martinez also knocked home runs in the contest and Gabe Camacho contributed with a hit and an RBI, while scoring twice and getting hit by a pitch once. Jake Villar delivered a strong performance over five innings in relief, giving up no runs and only three hits while striking out five batters and walking one, earning his second save of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego started strong in the first inning, capitalizing on opportunities with a combination of walks and hits. After a wild pitch allowed the first run to score, Allen delivered a crucial single up the middle, driving in two more runs. Martinez followed with a two-run homer to left field, putting UC San Diego up 5-0. The Titans responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, narrowing the lead to 5-3.
 
In the fourth inning, CSF added two more runs, leveling the score with a double to right field that brought home two runners. The Tritons regained momentum in the fifth inning when Allen hit a solo home run to center field, putting UCSD back in the lead, 6-5. The Tritons maintained their lead through solid pitching and defense.
 
UC San Diego extended its advantage in the eighth inning with timely hitting. Camacho singled up the middle to bring in Noah Lazuka, followed by Allen's double, which added another run. These efforts resulted in a 9-5 lead, which UCSD successfully held through the ninth inning, securing the victory over CSF. 
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons will conclude the series at Cal State Fullerton on Sunday at 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 began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned 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 Divisions I and II.