The UCSD baseball team managed an 8-4 win over Cal State Los Angeles in the first round of the double-elimination California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament on May 11. However, two two-run losses at the hands of Chico State and Cal State Dominguez Hills on May 12 ended the run for the young team that won its last eight regular season games just to earn the chance to play in the postseason.
Senior second baseman Dusty Destler turns a double play during the Tritons’ eight-game win streak to make the playoffs, but UCSD’s luck ran out when it arrived at the CCAA tournament, getting eliminated by Cal State Dominguez Hills in its third game on May 12.
The Tritons fell in an elimination game against Dominguez Hills after their 7-5 loss to the eventual CCAA champion Chico State Wildcats.
The Toros and Tritons squared off fiercely — the teams exchanged leads five times and neither ever had a comfortable advantage.
Dominguez Hills took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single by Jason Klug, but the Tritons one-upped the Toros in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out rally that started with freshman utility Matt Cantele’s double down the right-field line, and ended with junior catcher/first baseman David Morehead’s 12th homer of the year. Morehead’s two-run shot gave the Tritons a 2-1 lead, but one that would not last long.
The Toros came back in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead on Cody Puckett’s two-run homer.
Dominguez Hills’ slim lead lasted until the bottom of the fifth, when the Tritons got a one-out double from senior outfielder David Gomez. Freshman shortstop Josh Tanner followed him with a double of his own that could only advance Gomez to third. Senior outfielder Damian Fante was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for junior second baseman John Roth. Roth could not get good wood on the ball, but his fielder’s choice allowed Gomez to score. A Dominguez Hills error on the play added another run and put the Tritons ahead 4-3. Knowing that a one-run lead would not hold up, the Tritons added an insurance run on Cantele’s second double of the game, scoring Fante to go up 5-3.
However, the insurance policy ran out, as CSUDH came back with a five-run sixth inning to take an 8-5 lead. Puckett hit a one-out triple to center field and came home on Chris Hunter’s dinger to right-center. Not satisfied with the tie, the Toros took the lead on Kyle Stanley’s three-run homer.
UCSD had the makings of a rally in the bottom half of the sixth, with two runners on and only one out, but a double play ended the threat, UCSD still trailing 8-5.
Stanley tallied his fourth RBI of the game on a two-out single and another run put the Toros up 10-5, leaving UCSD with only six outs to put at least five runs together.
The Tritons gave themselves a chance by loading the bases with one out in the eighth. A two-out RBI single by Roth left the bases loaded and brought the tying run to the plate. Cantele followed with a single of his own to put the Tritons within three runs at 10-7 and set the table for Morehead to do some more damage. He did just that, ripping a single through the left side to bring home two runs and put the Tritons within striking distance of a tie at 10-9.
After the inning came to a close, the Toros came up and added an insurance run on Hunter’s second dinger of the night, putting the pressure on the Tritons to come up with at least two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
However, Dominguez Hills closer Fred Medina came in and retired the Tritons in the ninth to send them home empty-handed.
The Tritons would not have been facing elimination if it were not for a 7-5 loss to Chico State earlier in the day.
Chico State took an early 2-0 lead, but UCSD would come back to take a 3-2 advantage on Cantele’s two-run homer to right-center field in the seventh inning.
But, the Wildcats would come back strong like the champions they are, scoring five runs in the seventh inning to take a 7-3 lead. The Tritons started to rally in the ninth, as they loaded the bases with one out for Clement. He came through with a two-RBI single and put the Tritons down 7-5 with the tying run on base. However, Chico State got two quick outs on the next two Triton batters, ending the game and forcing UCSD into the elimination game they eventually lost.
“We faced some good pitchers throughout the day and our offense did a great job,” head coach Dan O’Brien said. “We simply did not get the outings on the mound we needed to win those two ballgames on Saturday.”
The only game the Tritons won in the tournament came on May 11, when Cal State Los Angeles made eight defensive errors to hand UCSD an 8-4 win on a platter. The Golden Eagles, the hosts of the tournament, gave up the lead to the Tritons in the first inning, as Fante scored on a Roth single. UCSD kept padding its lead on Los Angeles’ errors until the fifth inning, when the Golden Eagles took a 4-3 lead on R.J. Brown’s two-run homer.
However, UCSD came back to tie in the bottom of the fifth inning and recaptured the lead with a four-run sixth inning. UCSD would never look back, as the score remained 8-4.
Though they are eliminated, the Tritons have a slim chance of being selected to the NCAA tournament. Either way, O’Brien is excited to take the field next year.
“We’re going to be a good ball club next year,” he said. “If we don’t make it to regionals this year, I think were going to have a lot of guys that are going to focus on getting there next year.”
