LA JOLLA, Calif. –UC San Diego baseball dropped a 7-6 decision to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon at Triton Ballpark. The Tritons (21-20, 10-10 Big West) rallied from a six run deficit but could not complete the comeback, evening the series with the Gauchos (28-13, 13-10 Big West), 1-1.
 
Colton Lomanto finished the day 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored. Thomas Maher went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while Anthony Potestio and Michael Crossland also scored runs for the Tritons.
 
UC San Diego used eight pitchers in the contest with Nic Gregson getting the start. Jake Villar (1-4) was credited with the loss after giving up the eventual game-winning run for the Gauchos in the sixth. The Tritons combined for seven strikeouts, while allowing nine hits.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
 UC Santa Barbara was first to strike, scoring six runs on five hits in the top of the second for an early 6-0 lead. Lomanto got one run back for the Tritons in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff home run to center field to make it 6-1.
 
In the next inning, UC San Diego rallied to load the bases with one out via a double, a walk and a single. Lomanto homered again, this time to left field for the Tritons second grand slam of the season, pulling UC San Diego within one, 6-5. 
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Tritons hit back-to-back singles with two outs before Gonzalez reached on a fielding error to score Lomanto from second and tie the game, 6-all. 
 
The Gauchos responded with a solo home run in the top of the sixth to pull in front once again, 7-6. UCSB threatened for more with the bases loaded with two outs before Garrett Patterson forced a foul-out to Gonzalez behind the plate to keep it a one-run ballgame.
 
 Chapman Weber, Julian Cazares and Zach Ernisse combined to shut out the Gauchos in the final three innings, pitching one inning each. Potestio drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the ninth but a double play and a strikeout ended the contest with the visitors on top.
 
TRITON TIDBITS 

• Colton Lomanto recorded a career-high five runs batted in. 
• Lomanto is the seventh Triton to hit multiple home runs in a contest this season, joining Patrick Hackworth (Feb. 21 vs Pepperdine), Michael Crossland (Mar. 1 vs Cincinnati and Mar. 9 vs Cal State Bakersfield), J.C. Allen (Mar. 2 vs Cincinnati), Alex Leopard (April 6 vs Cal Poly and April 13 vs CSUN; 3 HR), Emiliano Gonzalez (April 11 vs CSUN) and Anthony Potestio (April 12 vs CSUN).
• The Tritons have hit 64 home runs this season which leads the Big West. They are 15 home runs away from setting the all-time single season program record (78, 2018).
• UC San Diego is 5-6 in one-run ballgames this season.
• The Tritons used eight pitchers in the contest, including Nic Gregson, Landon Marchetti, Devon King, Jake Villar, Garrett Patterson, Chapman Weber, Julian Cazares and Zach Ernisse.
• UC San Diego is now 2-15 against UC Santa Barbara in the all-time series and 1-1 in the weekend series. 

 
UP NEXT 
The Tritons will conclude the series with UC Santa Barbara on Sunday at 1 p.m. 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.