HONOLULU–UC San Diego baseball saw its season come to a close on Sunday afternoon with a 13-2 loss to Hawai'i at Les Murakami Stadium. The Tritons (26-25, 15-15 Big West) came up one game short of a berth to the Big West Championship next week, finishing sixth in the conference.
It was a record setting day for the Tritons as
Michael Crossland knocked his 15th home run of the season, finishing the day 2-for-4.
J.C. Allen also knocked a solo home run, and the Tritons finish the season with 80 homers, a new single season program record.
Starters
Jake Villar (1-5) pitched 2.1 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Five Tritons entered the contest in relief of Villar, highlighted by
Spencer Seid with 2.0 innings with one run on three hits, no walks and three strikeouts.
Nathan Ries also pitched 2.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons were first to strike, with Crossland sending the first pitch over the wall in right center to put UC San Diego up, 1-0, in the first. Hawai'i tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the second with an RBI single.
The Rainbow Warriors did most of their damage in the third inning, scoring six runs on four hits including a grand slam to pull in front, 7-1.
Allen attempted to spark a rally for the Tritons in the following inning with a leadoff homer to right field, but UC San Diego was unable to cut into the deficit further. Crossland was the only runner to reach for the Tritons through the final five innings, knocking a two-out single in the eighth.
Hawai'i added two runs in the fifth, a run in the seventh and three runs in the eighth to build its 13-2 advantage.
TRITON TIDBITS
- With homers by Crossland and Allen, the Tritons set the program's all-time record with 80 home runs this season. The previous record was 78 homers, reached in 60 games in 2018 (D-II).
- Michael Crossland hit his 15th home run of the season and J.C. Allen knocked his 14th (his sixth in as many games).
- The Tritons used six pitchers in the contest, including Jake Villar, Nathan Ries, Julian Cazares, Spencer Seid, Zack Ernisse and Chapman Weber.
- UC San Diego moved to 5-11 in the all-time series with Hawai'i and 1-2 in the weekend series.
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.
