UC San Diego

LONG BEACH, Calif. — UC San Diego baseball dropped the series finale to Long Beach State, 6-4, on Sunday afternoon at Blair Field. The Tritons (19-24, 14-10 Big West) managed four hits including a home run in a back-and-forth battle, but could not overcome the Dirtbags' (17-29, 11-16 Big West) a four-run sixth inning.
 
J.C. Allen hit his sixth home run in the contest, driving in three of the Tritons' four runs. Nick Costello was productive at the plate, recording two hits and scoring once. Nic Gregson started for the Tritons, pitching 5 innings while allowing 4 earned runs on 8 hits, striking out 4 batters. Nathan Huy (0-2) pitched two innings, striking out two batters while not allowing any earned runs. Devon King effectively closed out the game, pitching one inning without allowing a hit.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego was first to strike in the top of the second inning. Drake Bicknell reached base on a walk and later scored an unearned run due to a muffed throw, allowing the Tritons to take an early 1-0 lead over LBSU.
 
Gregson held Long Beach in check through the first three innings, including retiring the side in order in the second. In the fourth, the Dirtbags broke through with a two-run homer, putting them ahead 2-1.
 
The Tritons regained the lead in the fifth inning with a three-run homer by Allen, driving in Costello and Gabe Camacho, making the score 4-2 in favor of the Tritons.
 
LBSU answered back in the sixth inning, scoring four runs aided by a solo home run and a series of plays that included an error and a sacrifice fly, giving LBSU a 6-4 lead.
 
The Tritons got a runner on base in the eighth and ninth innings, but they were unable to cut into the deficit, eventually falling 6-4.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• J.C. Allen recorded his sixth home run of the season in the contest. 
• UC San Diego recorded four hits and left eight runners on base, while LBSU recorded nine hits and left five runners on base.
• The Tritons used seven pitchers in the contest, including Nic Gregson, Nathan Huy and Devon King.
  • The Tritons did not issue a walk or a hit-by-pitch in the contest.
• UC San Diego is now 10-9 in the all-time series with Long Beach State and 0-3 this season.
  • It was the first time the Tritons were swept in a Big West series this season.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will return to Triton Ballpark for a midweek contest with San Diego State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Cal State Bakersfield next weekend for the final conference road trip of the season.  The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available 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.