The UCSD baseball team continues to prove it is one of the best teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. After losing a slugfest to the Sonoma State University Cossacks in the series opener, the Tritons were the only ones doing the slugging on Saturday when they won both games of a doubleheader against Sonoma State.
Guardian
On Friday, both teams came out swinging. The Cossacks jumped to an early lead with five runs in the first inning off pitcher Keith Smith. The Tritons stormed back in the second inning by scoring six runs and knocking out pitcher Mark Schaukowitch. John Bologna was a big part of those six runs with a bases-loaded double that scored three runners. Bologna had a big game for the Tritons; he went 3-6 with five RBIs and three runs.
After the Tritons gained an 11-7 advantage, Sonoma State scored seven runs in the sixth inning and was able to hold off the Tritons to preserve a 15-13 victory.
The Cossacks had a big day from several players. They had nine players with multiple hits, including Tom Everidge, who went 3-5 with a home run and four RBIs. Cossack Ian Keen got the win (6-1), while Bergstrom took a 2-3 loss. However, it was a rough day for both teams’ pitching, each combining for a whopping 36 hits and 28 runs.
Guardian
“”It was just one of those freak games,”” said Triton pitcher Alex Cremidan. “”We have really good pitching and they were just hitting the ball really well.””
However, it was a different story on Saturday. Triton pitching dominated the Cossack hitters, and UCSD continued to put runs on the board to sweep the doubleheader.
In the first game at Triton field on Saturday, UCSD jumped on Sonoma State ace Aaron Parker early. The Tritons scored three runs in the second inning to take the lead, and they never looked back. Andy Hanau pitched a brilliant game to paralyze the Cossack hitters. Hanau threw seven and two-thirds innings, with only one earned run and 10 strikeouts.
“”Andy threw a great game,”” said teammate and fellow pitcher Tyler Smith. “”I am really happy for him. He works really hard.””
The Tritons went on to win the game 6-1. James Sanders picked up his fifth save of the year, while Hanau improved to 3-2 on the year. The Triton offense was led by Matt Smith and Anthony Lococo, who each had a pair of hits and an RBI, while Bologna stepped up again with two RBIs.
The next game was more of the same when UCSD routed Sonoma State. UCSD scored 15 runs in seven innings of play because the game was called due to darkness. The Tritons scored 10 runs in four innings off Parker (6-4). Sonoma State could not get anything past the Triton hitters, led by Jeff Riddle, who finished four for four with two home runs, a double, three runs and five RBIs. Cremidan dominated by pitching a complete game and only giving up one run on seven hits.
“”I was just throwing strikes and they couldn’t hit me,”” Cremidan said.
With the win, Cremidan upped his record to an outstanding 6-1. Both wins Saturday were huge for the Tritons after they had dropped two in a row, and they improved their overall record to 23-13-1 and 18-9 in the CCAA. The Tritons sit in second place behind Chico State University.
The Tritons are playing excellent baseball when many didn’t expect it from a team that just went 14-34 a year earlier.
“”Our chemistry is a lot better this year, and that makes us a very dangerous team,”” Cremidan said.
“”Our goal is to win a national championship,”” Smith said.
