A 7-4 victory over crosstown rival Point Loma Nazarene at Triton Baseball Stadium on April 7 restored the No. 29 Tritons’ place in the national Division II rankings. However, the victory was short-lived as the Sea Lions retaliated on April 14 and defeated UCSD at Carroll B. Land Stadium in Point Loma, Calif., in a 4-6 contest.
The Tritons then left for San Francisco on April 16, where they dropped the opener of a four-game series against San Francisco State, 3-1, before coming back to win both ends of a doubleheader against the Gators, 13-2 and 1-0. Game four had not been completed at press time.
Now, with only nine games remaining in regular-season play, victories are more crucial than ever. Before the series, UCSD and San Franciso State had identical 15-3 records in the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference and were tied for fifth place in the standings. Only the top-four teams in the conference advance to the playoffs. Though UC Davis leads the CCAA, its ineligibility for postseason play due to its transition to Division I allows UCSD and San Franciso State to fight for sole possession of the final playoff spot. The next two weeks of games will decide the Tritons’ fate.
In the series opener, UCSD held tightly to a one-run lead through eight and a half innings, but the Gators tied the game in the bottom half of the eighth with a home run from SFSU shortstop A.J. Biama. The Gators closed the game with two more runs in the bottom of the ninth off of a two-run home run from rightfielder Shane Stover.
Triton sophomore pitcher Jose Navarro went eight innings, giving up just one run on five hits and striking out six. UCSD sophomore reliever Ryan Leake took the loss for the Tritons, and his record fell to 5-2 on the year.
The outcome was a bit different in the doubleheader on April 17 against the Gators, as the Tritons won both decisions, 13-2 and 1-0.
UCSD junior hurler Logan Boutilier started on the mound in game one, going seven innings and allowing seven hits, one earned run and one walk, while striking out three. He improved to 5-2 with the win. Senior pitcher Nolan Dunkly and junior pitcher Tyler Smith each threw one clean inning with one strikeout apiece to close the Gators out.
Offensively, the Tritons broke open a 1-1 game with two runs in the third inning, a pair in the fifth and another run in the sixth. UCSD broke the game wide open with a five-run seventh inning and two more runs in the eighth frame.
Junior second baseman Ricky Pinocchio, the leadoff batter for UCSD, went 3-for-4 with four runs scored. He also was hit by a pitch twice and stole a base. Pinocchio reached base to begin the first, third and fifth innings, and successfully scored each time. He safely reached base all seven times he went to the plate, capitalizing on a fielding error in the seventh inning.
Triton junior shortstop Keith Hernandez added three hits on five at-bats, to go with two RBI and a run scored. Senior centerfielder Brett Burton was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Junior third baseman Alex Gascon, senior first baseman Keith Albrecht and junior Ryan Langone drove in two runs apiece.
Langone and senior catcher Jeff Riddle each scored two runs. Langone had a two-run triple in the five-run seventh inning while Albrecht provided a two-run double in the eighth.
UCSD sophomore starter Byron Grubman tossed his first collegiate shutout in the nightcap, delivering all seven innings plus the extra inning of the abbreviated game. Grubman, now 4-3, has earned all of his wins in complete games. He has eight complete games over his two seasons at UCSD. San Franciso State managed just four singles and a walk off of Grubman, and was retired on strikes six times.
All five of the Tritons’ hits were singles. In the eighth inning, Hernandez singled with one out after Albrecht, who earned the win April 16, came into the game on the mound to start the frame. Hernandez advanced to second when Riddle drew a walk, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Albrecht’s single to right-center brought Hernandez home, and Grubman retired the side in order in the bottom half of the inning.
The Gators fell to 25-21 overall and 16-15 in league play. UCSD improves to 28-18 overall and 17-14 in the CCAA.
With two more weeks left in the regular season, the Tritons will have to keep playing solid baseball to guarantee a playoff spot. UCSD’s penultimate matchup will be against the always strong Chico State on April 23 through April 25. The series will be played at Triton Baseball Stadium in what will be the 2004 UCSD baseball team’s final home stand.
