LA JOLLA, Calif. — UC San Diego baseball dropped game two of the weekend series to Cal Poly, 5-3, on Saturday afternoon in Triton Ballpark. The Tritons' (15-19, 11-6 Big West) managed seven hits and two stolen bases, but the Mustangs' (21-16, 12-5 Big West) 13-hit performance secured their victory and the series.
 
Trevian Martinez collected two RBI with one hit and Gabe Camacho added to the offense with a double, recording two hits and one RBI. Delshaun Lanier contributed with one hit and two stolen bases. 
 
Trevor Rector started the game on the mound, contributing two innings with five hits and three earned runs while also striking out three. Austin Bowker pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out three batters. Villar delivered a strong performance in relief, pitching the final three innings without allowing a run and striking out three, with 29 of his 41 pitches resulting in strikes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal Poly took an early lead, scoring twice in the first inning. An RBI single and a sac fly make it 2-0 for the visitors. UC San Diego responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-out RBI double by Camacho, bringing in Michael Crossland to make it 2-1. The Tritons threatened for more but stranded two runners on base at the conclusion of the inning.
 
The Mustangs added to their lead in the second with a groundout RBI, extending the lead to 3-1. UC San Diego threatened again when Lanier stole second after being hit by a pitch, but the Tritons were unable to bring him home.
 
In the fourth, Cal Poly's lead grew with a single and a throwing error, which scored a runner from second to make it 4-1. Another RBI single in the top of the sixth extended the lead, 5-1, for the visitors. 
 
The bottom of the sixth saw the Tritons narrow the gap as Camacho and J.C. Allen both singled to lead off the inning. A ground-out advanced both runners into scoring position with one out, setting up Martinez for an RBI groundout. However, the rally was short lived with Cal Poly leading, 5-2, after six.
 
Villar retired the first five batters he faced including back-to-back strikeouts to start the eighth and pitched three scoreless innings to keep the Mustangs within reach. 
 
The Tritons started another rally in the eighth inning with one out and two runners on via a hit by pitch and a single. Crossland scored on Martinez' infield single, pulling UC San Diego within two, 5-3. A pair of groundouts stranded two runners and kept Cal Poly in front.
 
In the final inning, Lanier got on base via a Mustang error to put the leadoff man aboard, but the Tritons could not muster additional runs, sealing a 5-3 victory for the Mustangs. 
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The Tritons recorded seven hits and left eight runners on base, while Cal Poly recorded 13 hits and left nine runners on base.
• UC San Diego used four pitchers in the contest, including Trevor Rector, Austin Bowker, Nathan Huy and Jake Villar.
• UC San Diego is now 9-9 in the all-time series with Cal Poly and 0-2 this season.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will wrap the weekend series with Cal Poly on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats 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.