After having its season opener rained out, the UCSD men’s baseball team crushed California Baptist University, 10-3, at the Triton baseball field on Tuesday.
Guardian
With over a hundred people in the crowd, the Tritons took an early 2-0 lead after the second inning. Tyler Sullivan singled to right field to bring in David Hawk and Eric Thorpe.
California Baptist cut the deficit in half with an RBI from Oscar Enriquez that scored Dan Mahaffie in the third inning. Then the Tritons took over in the bottom of the fourth inning.
First, Chad Addison got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, driving in Tyler Sullivan. Ryan Larson then singled into center field to drive in Matt Smith and Blair Suzuki. Nathan Bestul drove in the final run of the inning with a pop fly into right field to score Addison.
Thus, after the forth inning, the score read 6-1 in favor of the Tritons.
California Baptist added a run in the top of the fifth inning, but another four-run inning in the seventh by the Tritons put the game away. In that inning, Eric Thorpe drove in Larson and scored off an RBI from Sullivan. Suzuki drove in David Hawk to cap off the four-run inning.
All the California Baptist players could muster for a comeback was a measly run by Sterling Winans off an RBI from Mike Roddy in the eighth inning.
The win gave the UCSD men’s baseball team its first nonconference win in Division II for the 2001 season, as well as its first California Collegiate Athletic Association win of the season.
Sullivan drove in three runs with 3 hits out of four plate appearances. Junior pitcher John Beaven got the win for his first of the season in as many chances.
Many players, such as senior Jess Warrington, believe that this season will be promising for the newest team in Division II.
“”We have lost some key people from last year’s team for various reasons, including our starting shortstop, who we were expecting to get back,”” Warrington said. “”We have had many people on the team that have had to step up into key roles, and judging by yesterday’s game, it looks like a promising season.””
The upcoming schedule seems favorable for the Tritons. They play Vanguard University this Saturday, Feb. 3. The Tritons have had success against Vanguard; last year’s ball club romped Vanguard 11-0 at the Triton baseball field.
After that, it’s on the road to University of Redlands on Friday, Feb. 9th. Then comes a game against Concordia University in Irvine on Saturday, Feb. 10th. After that comes a double-header at UCSD against California State University San Bernardino, the weekend of Feb. 15 to Feb. 16. Be on hand to see UCSD’s top swingers in action.
