After inclement weather canceled the first two games of the series between UCSD and Regis University, the Tritons (4-1) and the Rangers (5-1) finally squared off in doubleheader action on Feb. 13 at Triton Baseball Stadium. Regis inched out the first game, 5-4, while UCSD came back in the second game to post a 6-2 win. On Feb. 15, the Tritons took on cross-town rival Point Loma (6-1) and rallied late in the game for the victory, 8-7.
Up 4-2 in the opener against Regis, the Tritons saw victory ripped from their grasp, as the Rangers rallied in the eighth and put up three runs on three hits and a UCSD error to take the lead and the win, 5-4.
Triton junior starter Jose Navarro pitched seven solid innings, striking out five and allowing only two earned runs. The Regis rally mounted in the eighth after senior closer Shlomo Lipetz (1-1) came on in relief.
Offensively, UCSD junior centerfielder Matt Lawson, senior leftfielder Joel Clark, junior rightfielder Damian Fante, senior shortstop Keith Hernandez, senior second baseman Ricky Pinocchio and senior third baseman Alex Gascon each had a hit in the game.
“While this was probably the worst game we have played so far this year, the positive thing is that we had the opportunity to win,” UCSD head coach Dan O’Brien said. “We just couldn’t close this one out.”
The seven-inning nightcap game told a different story for UCSD. Behind the stellar pitching of senior hurler Logan Boutilier (2-0), the Tritons were able to stunt the Rangers and pull through with the victory, 6-2.
Boutilier went the distance in the game, striking out eight and allowing only two earned runs. For his efforts, UCSD Athletics named Boutilier the Athlete of the Week.
“Logan pitched a solid game for us,” O’Brien said. “That’s what you want and look for out of your veterans. He stepped up and gave us a great, complete game after a tough loss.”
The winning continued on Feb. 15 as UCSD handed Point Loma its first loss of the year. While down 7-5 in the top of the ninth inning, the Tritons posted three runs, capped by a two-run home run by sophomore catcher David Morehead, to earn the victory, 8-7.
UCSD played solid baseball in the field and on the basepaths. The team registered 13 hits. Hernandez went 4-for-5 with three singles and a clutch double. Morehead went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Defensively, the Tritons were errorless. Junior hurler Byron Grubman started and threw just over three innings, before seven other UCSD pitchers came in on relief duty from the bullpen, with Lipetz ultimately notching the win after retiring three Sea Lions batters in a row.
The Sea Lions seemed to be on track for the victory in the bottom of the fourth when first baseman Kevin Campbell and catcher Will Craig smacked back-to-back home runs. The homers accounted for Point Loma’s four-run inning and put the Sea Lions up 7-3.
But the Tritons’ tenacity never wavered as they rallied for the victory.
“This was a great win for the team,” O’Brien said. “The best thing is that we played good baseball. While we still have a lot to improve on, a late come-from-behind win is always great for the ball club.”
UCSD kicks off California Collegiate Athletic Association league action this week on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 with a three-game stint against Cal State Dominguez Hills at home. First pitches are slated for 2 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 11 a.m. on Feb. 19.
