LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball leveled its series against CSUN on Saturday afternoon, claiming a convincing 9-5 victory over the Matadors. The Tritons (15-18, 6-8 Big West) put up six runs in the eighth inning to secure a comeback victory over the Matadors (8-22, 4-13 Big West).
Anthony Potestio's bat was firing with two home runs for four RBI.
Thomas Maher sparked the late-game surge with an RBI single; he finished 3-for-4 on three singles, good for a pair of RBI.
Emiliano Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI, while
Michael Crossland finished 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.
Patrick Hackworth collected the final RBI off a single.
Nic Gregson made his seventh start of the season, tossing six strikeouts while allowing four runs on six hits over a season-high five innings.
Spencer Seid (3-1) pitched the rest of the contest, throwing four strikeouts while giving up two hits and one run to earn the victory. The pair combined for 10 strikeouts and did not issue a walk, marking the second consecutive contest without a base on balls for Triton pitchers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After the Tritons retired the first seven batters in order, CSUN hit a left-field home run to go up 1-0 in the third inning. Potestio responded immediately with a right-field bomb to level the score. A single, a stolen base and a throwing error saw Crossland reach third base before a Gonzalez grounder sent Crossland home to carve a 2-1 lead.
The Matadors tied the game in the fifth inning after baiting a second base steal that sent home a runner from third. Back-to-back doubles in the next inning returned the lead to the visitors at 3-2. A sacrifice bunt two batters later drew a 4-2 score before the Tritons loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning.
Gabe Camacho reached home via a
Patrick Hackworth groundout, clawing back 4-3.
Maher flipped the score in the eighth inning with a two-RBI single into left field, sending home Camacho and pinch runner
Cooper Thacker to make it 5-3. Potestio cracked another home run over the right-field wall to add three more runs. Gonzalez added another RBI single into right field to make it 9-4 heading into the final inning.
A CSUN run off a groundout in the ninth served as a consolation for the visitors.
TRITON TIDBITS
- True freshman Thomas Maher recorded his first RBIs of his Triton career on Saturday.
- Anthony Potestio hit his third and fourth home runs of the season, setting a new career high for the sophomore.
- Nic Gregson set a new season high in strikeouts (6), just one shy of tying his career high.
- Triton pitching did not issue a walk for the third time this season (April 11 vs CUSN & March 7 vs Cal St. Bakersfield. UC San Diego combined for double figure strikeouts for the eighth game this season and second consecutive contest with 10.
- UC San Diego is now 8-7 all-time against CSUN; the series record is tied at 1-1.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego finishes its series against CSUN on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and KSDT Radio 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 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 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
