LA JOLLA, Calif.— UC San Diego baseball fell to BYU, 9-7, on Saturday afternoon at Triton Ballpark, despite a late five-run rally in the ninth inning. The Cougars (3-2) started strong with a three-run first inning and added five more in the seventh to secure the win over the Tritons (2-3).
 
The Tritons were limited to just four hits, with Trevian Martinez and Cal Elvis recording doubles in the contest. Alex Leopard reached base four times, drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch, scoring two of the Tritons' runs. Addison Klepsch delivered at the plate, collecting two RBI on his single, while Bryan Bradshaw, Nick Costello and Anthony Potestio all drove in an RBI as well.
 
Nic Gregson (0-2) delivered a strong start for UC San Diego, pitching five innings with seven strikeouts while allowing four hits and three earned runs. Quincey Brown closed the game with one inning, conceding one hit and one earned run, but also striking out one batter. Nathan Huy was effective in his relief appearance, pitching 1.0 scoreless inning with two strikeouts and a walk. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
BYU took an early lead in the first inning, scoring three runs. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch allowed the first run, followed by a two-RBI single, giving the Cougars a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Tritons got on the board in the fifth inning when Leopard walked and advanced to third on Martinez's double. Costello's sacrifice fly brought in Leopard, and a groundout from Klepsch scored Martinez, closing the gap to 3-2.
 
In the seventh, the Cougars extended their lead with five runs. A single down the left field line, brought in two runs and a triple scored two more. A wild pitch allowed the fifth run of the inning, making it 8-2 in favor of the visitors. A solo home run in the top of the ninth brought the advantage to 9-2.
 
UC San Diego made a strong push in the ninth inning. J.C. Allen reached on a throwing error and scored on Elvis's double. Leopard walked, and Klepsch followed with an RBI single to make it 9-4. Bryan Bradshaw added a sacrifice fly, and Anthony Potestio reached on a fielder's choice, scoring another run, 9-6. A wild pitch allowed Potestio to score, narrowing the Cougars' lead to 9-7. With two outs, a runner on third and the tying run at the plate, the Cougars ended the Tritons' rally with a groundout to shortstop.
 
Despite the late rally, the Tritons fell short, with the final score 9-7 in favor of the Cougars.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Cal Elvis and Bryan Bradshaw recorded their first RBI in a Triton uniform in the contest.
• The Tritons used seven pitchers, including Nic Gregson, Jake Villar, Connor Etnire, Julian Cazares, Ethan Russell, Nathan Huy and Quincey Brown.
• UC San Diego is 1-1 all-time against BYU. 

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons will conclude the Tony Gwynn Legacy series on Sunday against Western Michigan at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 
Article partially generated with FanWord.
 
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.