The UCSD baseball team won two games and dropped one Feb. 4 through Feb. 8. On Feb. 4, UCSD traveled to Concordia University and beat the Eagles 11-4 then returned home to play a three game series against Division I Sacramento State from Feb. 6 through Feb. 8.
Guardian File
On Feb. 6, game one against Sacramento State was suspended in the sixth inning due to darkness, with the Hornets ahead 5-2. Play resumed on Feb. 7 and the Hornets squeaked by with a 6-5 win. In game two, the Tritons returned the favor and beat the Hornets in a tight ball game, 7-5. At press time, game three had not yet been played.
In the Concordia game, UCSD jumped out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back. The Tritons scored twice in the third inning and three more in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. After the Eagles put up three runs in the sixth, UCSD added four runs in the top of the ninth inning to capture the win.
The big hit was a two-run double in the fourth inning by junior centerfielder Brad Beltz. In his first start as a Triton, Beltz, a transfer from Cosumnes River College, finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base.
UCSD had six doubles in the game off the bats of junior second baseman Joel Clark, junior third baseman Rickey Pinocchio, senior designated hitter Aaron Detty, junior first baseman Brian Robinson, freshman catcher David Morehead and Beltz.
Junior Justin Allred (1-0) started on the hill for UCSD and earned his first victory as a Triton. Allred pitched five and one-third innings, striking out four batters and allowing just three runs on four hits.
UCSD ace pitcher Raf Bergstrom (1-1) took the mound for the Tritons in the first game against the Hornets. He went five innings, striking out six batters and allowing five runs on eight hits.
Sacramento State jumped out to an early lead when its third baseman, John Acha, smacked a two-run home run to right field in the top of the first.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Triton senior catcher Jeff Riddle launched a two-run home run to right field, bringing UCSD within three of Sacramento State. The game was suspended due to darkness at 5-2 in favor of the Hornets.
When play resumed on Feb. 7, UCSD’s Pinocchio and rightfielder Ryan Langone each blasted solo home runs in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. But the Tritons came up one run short in the game and lost by a slim margin of 6-5.
In game two, the Tritons scored two runs in each of the first, second and third innings. Morehead smacked his first collegiate home run in the bottom of the second inning. He went 2-for-4 in the game with a double and three RBIs. Shortstop Keith Hernandez went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Langone, Clark, Morehead, Pinocchio and pinch runner David Hawk all had stolen bases in the game.
In two games UCSD hit four home runs. UCSD head coach Dan O’Brien was pleased at the offensive productivity, but noted that the focus for his team is not on hitting home runs.
“”[Our guys] are having quality at-bats and that is the most important thing to us,”” he said. “”The [players] are happy to be hitting home runs, but they’re not trying to hit home runs. Their focus is on having a quality at-bat. That is why they are seeing some balls go out of the yard. If you have a good at-bat at this yard [Triton Baseball Field], you’ll be rewarded sometimes with the wind coming off of the ocean and out to right field.””
Hornet Acha hit two home runs in game two. He and the Sacramento State offense chipped away at the Triton lead throughout the game, but it would not be enough.
Strong pitching was key to UCSD’s success. Sophomore pitcher Jose Navarro started game two and went four and two-third innings. Junior transfer pitcher Ryan Leake (1-0) came on in relief and earned his first victory of his Triton career. Junior transfer pitcher Shlomo Lipetz entered the game in the seventh inning. He closed the game and earned his first career save as a Triton.
“”Our pitching has been phenomenal,”” O’Brien said. “”I think it’s good quality pitching, but more importantly, there is a veteran presence on the mound. Our pitchers look like they are in control and in command of the game at all times. [The opponent’s] hitters are affected by that.””
The victory over the Hornets was crucial for UCSD.
“”I think it’s a great win for the program, but I really think it’s a great win, more importantly, for the guys, because I think they know that they are good and we proved it today,”” O’Brien said. “”This reassures [them] that [they] can play with anyone in the nation. To be honest, we feel that way. We feel like we are a team that can compete with anybody.””
With a 5-1 record, the Tritons face Concordia at Triton Baseball Field on Feb. 11. UCSD kicks off its 2004 California Collegiate Athletic Association season opener at home on Feb. 12 against Cal State Los Angeles.
