UCSD and Cal State San Bernardino finally played their second game of a four-game series on Feb. 24. The game, which was scheduled to be played on Feb. 19, had been rained out, as was the twin bill that had been scheduled for Feb. 20. The doubleheader has not yet been rescheduled, but will be played at a later date.
With bright blue skies, the Tritons traveled to Arrowhead Credit Union Park in San Bernardino, Calif., and proceeded to trounce the Coyotes by a score of 10-3. The game was an offensive onslaught backed by solid pitching on the mound.
“When we play our game, we’re tough to beat,” UCSD head coach Dan O’Brien said. “We played a solid ballgame today. It all starts on the mound and [senior pitcher Raf] Bergstrom set the tone for the day followed by more solid bullpen work. A solid offensive attack throughout the game made us a tough team to beat.”
With the win, the Tritons improve to 10-5 overall and 3-3 in the CCAA. Cal State San Bernardino falls to 6-6 overall and 2-4 in league play.
After putting up one run in the top of the first inning, UCSD proceeded to tack on three runs in the top half of both the third and fifth innings. Junior rightfielder and leadoff batter Ryan Langone reached on an error. Just following a single by junior second baseman Joel Clark, Langone scored on a wild pitch from Cal State San Bernardino starter Enoc Jorrin (2-1).
Junior shortstop Keith Hernandez then brought home Clark with a single before senior catcher Jeff Riddle capped the inning’s scoring with an RBI groundout to score Hernandez.
In the top of the fifth, Clark singled, Hernandez singled, and Riddle walked to load the bases for the Tritons. Junior third baseman Ricky Pinocchio provided a one-out groundout to score one run, and junior designated hitter Josh Saunders delivered a two-out single to bring in two more.
UCSD put up its final three runs in the top of the eighth to secure the victory over the Coyotes.
The Coyotes put up their three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning off of UCSD starter Bergstrom. Triton junior pitcher Logan Boutilier came on in relief for Bergstrom in the fifth and continued his phenomenal start to the 2004 season. With a Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week award and a seven-inning complete game in his first career start already under his belt for 2004, Boutilier got out of the fifth and proceeded to frustrate Coyote batters over the next three innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five. Boutilier earned the victory for UCSD and improved to a perfect 3-0.
Hernandez finished 3-for-5 while Saunders and Clark had two hits apiece for UCSD.
The Tritons notched 13 hits as a team compared to six by the Coyotes.
UCSD will begin a four-game conference series with Cal Poly Pomona on Feb. 26. The Broncos, who are 6-1-1 in the conference and 9-4-2 overall and are currently atop the CCAA standings and No. 26 in the national rankings, will host the Tritons in single games at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. The series will then move to San Diego for a Feb. 28 doubleheader at Triton Baseball Stadium beginning at 12 p.m.
Going into this weekend’s action, UCSD is in sixth place in the conference, 2.5 games behind Cal Poly Pomona in the CCAA standings.
