UC San Diego

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — UC San Diego baseball secured a 4-2 victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Friday night at Hardt Field. The Tritons' (21-24, 15-10 Big West) pitching staff was dominant, striking out 14 batters and allowing just four hits and leaving 10 batters stranded for the Roadrunners (21-29, 9-16 Big West).
 
Steele Murdock pitched 4.0 innings, allowing three hits and two unearned runs while striking out nine. Nathan Huy (1-2) followed with a strong 2.0 innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one batter without issuing any walks to earn the win. Devon King closed the game with a three-inning save, surrendering no hits, walking none, and striking out four batters, marking his second save of the season.
 
Anthony Potestio recorded two hits, one run scored and one RBI, adding a triple to his performance. Addison Klepsch had a hit and an RBI, while Alex Leopard recorded a hit and a run scored. Delshaun Lanier walked twice and was responsible for one RBI and one run scored. Trevian Martinez was responsible for the Tritons' other RBI in the contest.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams threatened early, with CSUB getting two runners on with one out in the first and loading the bases with one out in the second. But the Roadrunners came up empty both times, with key strikeouts from Murdock.
 
After leaving two runners stranded in the second, UC San Diego broke through in the top of the third with a two-out bases-loaded walk by Martinez to make it 1-0. 
 
In the fourth inning, Lanier reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Potestio then tripled to the gap in left center to drive in Lanier. Klepsch followed with a single to score Potestio, extending UC San Diego's lead to 3-0 through four innings.
 
The fifth inning saw a leadoff double to right center by Leopard, and a sacrifice fly from Lanier brought him home, increasing the Tritons' advantage to 4-0. The Roadrunners responded with two unearned runs in the bottom half after a fielding error, narrowing the margin to 4-2 after five innings.
 
Despite the Roadrunners' attempt to claw back in the fifth inning, the Tritons' defense held strong. UC San Diego's bullpen closed the door, with King retiring the final seven batters in order and ensuring the win.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• In his first game back from an injury on April 26, Anthony Potestio recorded the only multi-hit performance for the Tritons and knocked his first triple of the season.
• The Tritons used three pitchers in the contest, including Steele Murdock, Nathan Huy and Devon King. 
  • Huy secured his first win of the season and King recorded his second save.
• UC San Diego is now 11-6 in the all-time series with Cal State Bakersfield. 
• The Tritons are now two games back from first place in the Big West.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will continue the weekend series at Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.  The game 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.