DAVIS, Calif. — UC San Diego baseball defeated UC Davis, 9-4, in the series opener on Friday evening at Dobbins Stadium. The Tritons (10-13, 6-1 Big West) tallied three home runs and 14 hits, while the pitching staff struck out 16 Aggies (11-12, 5-5 Big West).
 
Starter Steele Murdock (3-1) delivered a career performance on the mound, pitching 5.0 innings while striking out 12 batters—one shy of the Tritons' single game record. Murdock allowed three runs, all via a home run in the second inning, but 10 of his last 11 outs were recorded via strikeout. Connor Etnire followed with 4.0 innings of relief, conceding just one run on one hit while striking out four. Etnire's efforts secured his first collegiate save, as he did not issue any walks, with 34 of his 49 pitches thrown for strikes.
 
Anthony Potestio collected four extra-base hits—three doubles and a home run—and drove in two runs. Michael Crossland added three hits and two RBI, while also hitting a home run. Delshaun Lanier contributed with two hits and three RBI, while Nick Costello also knocked a homer in the contest, finishing 2-for-2 with a sac bunt and a hit by pitch.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the second inning, the Tritons got on the scoreboard when Lanier singled to center field, driving in J.C. Allen for the first run of the game. However, Davis responded with a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning, taking a 3-1 lead at the end of the second inning.
 
The Tritons narrowed the gap in the third inning. Potestio doubled to right field, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Allen, bringing the score to 3-2 in favor of the home team.
 
UC San Diego took the lead in the fifth inning when Crossland homered to left field, a two-run shot that brought Thomas Maher home, pulling ahead 4-3. In the sixth inning, Costello extended the Tritons' lead with a solo home run to right field, making it 5-3.
 
The Aggies closed the gap in the seventh inning with a solo homer by Howard, bringing the score to 5-4. However, the Tritons solidified their lead in the eighth inning. Lanier singled to right field, driving in two runs, followed by a two-run homer from Potestio. The inning ended with the Tritons leading 9-4.
 
Etnire retired the Aggies in order in the final two innings to secure the victory for the Tritons.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Steele Murdock finished one strikeout shy of the Tritons' all-time single game record—marking a career high 12 punchouts.
  • Spencer Seid recorded 13 strikeouts vs Cincinnati (D-I)(March 1, 2025).
  • Justin Donatella recorded 13 strikeouts vs Cal State Dominguez Hills (D-II) (March 6, 2014). 
• Michael Crossland knocked his sixth home run of the season, while Nick Costello recorded his fifth and Anthony Potestio tallied his third. 
• The Tritons used two pitchers in the contest, including Steele Murdock and Connor Etnire.
  • It was the first collegiate save for Etnire.
• UC San Diego is now 14-21 in the all-time series with UC Davis, 10-7 in Division I and 1-0 this season.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego will remain at UC Davis for the second game of the weekend series on Saturday at 6 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.