Box score

HAYWARD, Calif. – Despite a quality eight-inning outing from starter Bryce Miller, the Cal State East Bay baseball team saw UC San Diego eke out a 5-4 victory to open the four-game series on Friday at Pioneer Field. The Pioneers (5-9, 0-5 CCAA) could not take advantage of two errors by the Tritons while allowing three unearned runs and squandering several scoring opportunities, leaving nine men on base in the loss.

Miller took the loss but allowed just six hits and struck out nine in his longest outing of the season so far. The senior, who fell to 1-2 on the year, also walked just two and forced UCSD to leave six runners stranded.

After a scoreless first and second, Brett Hall led off the bottom of the third with a double to left. Erik Rowen followed with a bunt single and both runners advanced on a passed ball to put two on with no outs for Wilder, who grounded out to first but brought in Hall to give East Bay a 1-0 lead. With one out and a runner on third, Alex Anicich hit an RBI groundout to short to bring in Rowen and put the Pioneers up 2-0.

The lead didn't last long, however, as Gregg Ringold pinch hit for UCSD and led off the top of the fourth with a double and Nick La Face followed with single to put runners on first and third for Richard Seigel. The first baseman took Miller deep, hitting a three-run shot to center to give the Tritons a 3-2 lead in the middle of the fourth.

Though Ringold stole a homerun from Charlie Sharrer in the bottom of the fourth, reaching over left field wall to make a catch and keep the Pioneers from tying the game, East Bay made up for it later in the inning. Kenny Uyetake singled and Eddie Rettagliata was hit by a pitch with one out before both runners moved over on a passed ball to put two on with two out for Rowen. The second baseman doubled to left to bring in both runs and give East Bay back the lead, 4-3, through four innings.

UCSD took advantage of a passed ball on a third strike in the top of the fifth to get a runner on before a stolen base put him in scoring position to allow Ringold to hit a two-out RBI single to left and tie the game at four. Though the Tritons put another runner on, Miller got a strikeout to end the inning and, after a scoreless bottom half, the game went into the sixth tied 4-4.

Both pitchers tossed a scoreless sixth before the Tritons got a rally going in the top of the seventh. After a leadoff double, UCSD took advantage of a hit batter and a sacrifice to put runners on second and third for Ringold. Though Ringold reached on the fielder's choice, Miller got the out at home on the groundball and followed with another groundout to end the threat and send the game into the bottom of the seventh still tied 4-4.

East Bay answered with a rally of its own as Wilder reached on a fielder's choice and Woolfe singled with two outs to put runners on first and third before UCSD reliever Justin Burns got the final out to keep the game tied at four through seven innings.

The top of the eighth proved fruitful for the Tritons, who took advantage of an error and a stolen base to put a runner on second for Garrett Tuck, who did his job and moved the runner over with a sacrifice bunt. With the runner on third, Jonah Northrup hit a long fly ball to center that allowed the run to score and gave UCSD a 5-4 advantage.

East Bay threatened again in the bottom of the eighth, starting a two-out rally with a bunt single from Rettagliata. Hall followed with a double down the right field line to put two on with two outs for Rowen, who fought off four pitches on a full count before pitcher Elias Tuma got him to fly out to end the inning.

After a one-two-three inning for Pioneer reliever Ryan Devencenzi in the top of the ninth, East Bay went into its last at-bat trailing 5-4. The Pioneers didn't go down easily, though, as Woolfe singled with two outs before York got the final out to pick up the save and give the Tritons' the series-opening win.

Rowen led the Pioneers at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run, while Hall was 2-for-4 with one run. Both Jordan Wilder and Anicich drove in a run apiece and Uyetake and Rettagliata both scored a run for East Bay.

Burns picked up his second win of the season, tossing one scoreless inning and striking out one while allowing two hits. Seigel led the Tritons with two runs and three RBI, while Ringold went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run, an RBI and two stolen bases.

Still looking for its first conference win of the season, Cal State East Bay will host UC San Diego for games two and three of the series tomorrow. The Pioneers and Tritons are set for an 11 a.m. first pitch in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at Pioneer Field.