With a mediocre 4-4 record to start league play, the UCSD baseball team needed a strong showing against the San Francisco State Gators – the “”cellar dwellers”” in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings with a 2-6 record – in order to propel them from the middle of the pack into the elite teams in the league.
Senior outfielder Matt Lawson went 8-for-17 with three runs and five RBIs, including the game-winning hit in the series finale of UCSD’s four-game sweep of San Francisco State.
The Tritons did just that, sweeping the Gators in UCSD’s first four-game league series at home from March 9 to March 11. UCSD got it done with strong pitching in the first three games and a come-from-behind clutch 11-inning win in the series finale.
After giving up the go-ahead run in the top half of the 11th inning on freshman shortstop Vance Albitz’s error, the Tritons bailed out their teammate with a two-run walk-off finish. The deciding hit came from switch-hitting senior centerfielder Matt Lawson, who went 4-for-6 with two runs and three RBIs to lead UCSD.
“”I’m most impressed with Matt because he brings everything he has into every at bat,”” head coach Dan O’Brien said. “”He doesn’t change the way he goes about things from at-bat to at-bat. He’s very consistent and that’s what a team leader should be and that’s why he’s hitting in the middle of our lineup.””
Down by one with only three outs with which to come back, UCSD senior rightfielder John Roth led off the bottom of the 11th with a single to center and advanced to second base on an error by the Gators’ Ernie Munoz. O’Brien sent a pinch-hitter to advance Roth, but red-shirt freshman Drew Norton could only muster a foul out to San Francisco State’s third baseman.
Senior third baseman Jonathan Erickson, already with a double and a run scored in the game, dropped down a perfect drag bunt that put him on first and advanced Roth to third base, setting UCSD up with men on first and third and only one out.
“”I was trying to beat it out the whole way and just get way and just get more runners on base to have a chance to win the game,”” Erickson said.
O’Brien again went with a pinch-hitter in the game-deciding situation, this time sending junior first and third baseman Chris Hom to the dish to drive in the tying run. Hom not only drove in the run, but also advanced Erickson to third with his double to right field, putting the Tritons in position to sweep the series with a hit.
“”Chris Hom has been one of our best pinch hitters throughout his career it was just a matter of time before he had his opportunity and, as he often does, he capitalized,”” O’Brien said.
The Gators then intentionally walked leadoff hitter Albitz to set up the force play at every base, putting the pressure on Lawson, who lit up the Gator pitching all day as well as throughout the first three games of the series. Lawson’s bat was still hot late in the game, as he singled to right-center field to drive in Erickson for the go-ahead run and walk-off win.
Sophomore pitcher Trevor Decker picked up the win on only one-third of the innings pitched – just a day after picking up a win as the starter – with his seven-inning, two-run performance in UCSD’s 10-3 win in the series-opening game.
UCSD’s pitching staff was strong throughout the series, allowing only 11 runs in four games for a 2.75 team ERA.
“”The pitchers are finding a way to get outs in a very tough hitting conference without two or three years of experience,”” O’Brien said. “”Also, our pitching staff is consistently picking each other up. If one guy isn’t getting it done, another comes in and picks him up and they just continue to get each other’s back. That’s what will make them a very strong and successful pitching staff throughout the season.””
As O’Brien and the Tritons know, pitching wins championships – meaning a lot of pressure will be on Decker and the rest of the pitching staff during their run through the CCAA schedule to lift the team from fourth in the standings.
Erickson’s opinion, however, is that it is premature to look at standings.
“”I think it’s too early in the year,”” Erickson said. “”It doesn’t matter what place we are in now. It all comes down to how you play during the whole season. I think for sure we’ll be up there winning [our] conference in the end so the standings right now really don’t matter.””
With a four-game series coming up against the third-place team, Cal State San Bernardino, from March 15 to March 17, the Tritons have a chance to leap-frog the Coyotes in the standings before a nonconference four-game series against Hawaii-Pacific University starting on March 25.
