LA JOLLA, Calif. — UC San Diego baseball secured a seven-inning, 10-0, run-rule victory over Loyola Marymount on Tuesday evening in Triton Ballpark. The Tritons (19-21) did not allow a hit in the shortened contest with the Lions (12-34) to record their first no-hitter in Division I competition and second no-no in program history—both in seven innings.
Connor Etnire (4-0),
Nathan Ries and
Cal Elvis combined to shut out the Lions, with Etnire earning the win. Etnire pitched the first 3.0 innings in a pre-established shortened start, issuing one walk as the only base runner in the contest and striking out three. Ries was perfect in 3.0 innings of relief, retiring all nine batters faced and recording five strikeouts. Elvis contributed a clean inning, retiring all three batters faced in the final inning and throwing nine pitches with six strikes.
Drake Bicknell led the way offensively, finishing the night 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, while
Nathaniel Widelski went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a hit by pitch and a run scored.
Bryan Bradshaw also finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Ryson Ujimori went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored and
Addison Klepsch was 1-for-3 with a double, two walks, an RBI and two runs scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Etnire and the Tritons retired the visitors in order in both the first and second innings, including back-to-back strikeouts to start the second.
The Tritons' offense broke through in a big way in the second inning, scoring eight runs on five hits. The inning was highlighted by Ujimori and Bicknell RBI singles, and four runs scored via bases-loaded walks.
In the third, Crossland hit a double just shy of the fence to advance Klepsch to third. Bicknell singled up the middle, driving in a pair of runs to make it 10-0.
After a one-out walk in the top of the third, the Tritons would not allow a base runner for the remainder of the contest. Ries entered for Etnire in the top of the fourth and recorded a pair of strikeouts in both the fifth and sixth innings. UC San Diego's pitching staff was backed up by solid defensive play in the field, highlighted by a diving catch in center field from Widelski in the top of the fifth to preserve the no-no.
The Tritons' offense threatened more, loading the bases in the fifth and sixth innings but UC San Diego was unable to add to its total.
Elvis pitched the seventh inning after entering as the designated hitter earlier in the contest, inducing a groundout to second, a foul-out to first and a fly-out to right field to secure the shutout.
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons recorded their first Division I no-hitter (seven innings) and second in program history.
- Trevor Decker (7.0 IP) vs Cal State Stanislaus (March 14, 2009).
- The Tritons recorded 10 hits and left 13 runners on base, while LMU recorded no hits and left one runner on base.
- It was the second shutout for UC San Diego this season.
- The Tritons used three pitchers in the contest, including Connor Etnire, Nathan Ries and Cal Elvis.
- UC San Diego is now 3-0 in the all-time series with Loyola Marymount.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will travel to Long Beach State for a three-game series beginning on Friday, May 1 at 6 p.m. The final game of the series will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be available for all games 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 in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 39 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 90 percent, the highest rate among institutions in NCAA Division I or II.
