BASEBALL ‘mdash; It was all about the senior players last Saturday, who ran off Triton Baseball Field for the final time with the honor of being UCSD’s first California Collegiate Athletic Association baseball champions.
The baseball team, which finished second last year and has been a strong competitor in the last four postseasons, has never before captured the CCAA regular-season championship.
‘In years past, we were never clicking on all cylinders,’ Cantele said. ‘This year, when the hitters weren’t doing well, the pitchers helped them out, and when the pitching struggled, the hitters stepped up. Our team is closer and more sound than in the past.’
The seniors made a lasting impression in their home-game finale. After splitting games in Pomona, the No. 5 Tritons swept a Senior Day doubleheader against the Broncos, winning the first game 7-3 before pulling out an 11-9 squeaker in the backend.
Senior designated hitter Matt Cantele blasted his 54th homer to set UCSD’s new career home-run record, and senior third baseman Josh Tanner started a rally in the sixth inning that helped clinch the series.
After falling 3-1 at Cal Poly Pomona on April 30 in the first of a four-game home-and-home series with the Broncos, the Triton lineup stormed back for a 19-5 victory in game two.
‘You have to give credit to [the Broncos’] No. 1 starter,’ head coach Dan O’Brien said of the first-game loss. ‘But, just like we’ve been doing all year, we responded.’
Returning home on Saturday for the doubleheader, junior Kirby St. John took the mound and pitched eight innings, giving up three runs ‘mdash; only two of them earned ‘mdash; to pick up his second season victory.
Cal Poly Pomona scored all its runs in the first two innings, putting UCSD in a 3-0 hole, before St. John shut out the Broncos over the next six frames. After the Triton defense turned a double play to end the top of the third, senior outfielder Nick Burke reached first base on an infield hit and advanced to second after a single from junior shortstop Vance Albitz.
Tanner then stepped up to the plate and drove in both base runners with a hard-hit double to the left-field wall.
UCSD added two runs in the fourth and sixth innings and one in the seventh, finally claiming a 7-3 victory.
The Tritons fell behind early in Saturday’s second game as well, finding themselves down 4-0 in the second inning. However, they compensateed for their struggling pitchers with three runs ‘mdash; two of them coming on a homer from junior catcher Kellen Lee.
Senior reliever Ryland McFadyan pitched three scoreless frames while the Tritons added five runs, including Cantele’s record-breaking homer.
‘I’m glad that I did it on Senior Day in front of my family,’ Cantele said. ‘It’s more interesting for the family than for me, but it was still a great feeling.’
Buried in a four-run deficit, the Broncos stormed back with five runs in the sixth inning, hitting a three-run bomb to left field to pull ahead 9-8.
Tanner led off the bottom of the sixth with a chopper to second, beating the throw to the bag to get on base. Three batters later, the Tritons scored on a single from sophomore leftfielder Evan Kehoe to tie the score at nine. UCSD added two more, taking the 11-9 win.
The Tritons are still waiting to see who they will face in the conference championships, where they will attempt to claim their first tournament title since 2005.
Readers can contact Janani Sridharan at [email protected].