LA JOLLA, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team fell at UC San Diego by a final score of 5-3 in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup on Friday night at Triton Field.
 
The Cougars drop to 10-4 overall and 0-2 in conference action. The Tritons improve to 10-2 on the season and 2-0 in CCAA play.
 
Freshman center fielder Griffin Teisher tallied two of CSUSM's six hits with the 2-through-6 batters in the line-up recording each of the four other hits. Junior shortstop Tyler Place knocked in two of CSUSM's three runs in the contest.
 
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Junior second baseman Riley Manquen began the inning with a walk and advanced when freshman left fielder Jose Osete reached on a Triton error while attempting to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Manquen scored on a groundout to first base and Osete followed on Place's sac fly to centerfield.
 
In the bottom of the frame, the Tritons knocked in three runs on three hits while taking advantage of four wild pitches.
 
CSUSM had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth inning but a 1-2-3 double play got UCSD out of the jam.
 
The Tritons made it a 4-2 game in the sixth on Tyler Howsley's RBI single up the middle.
 
The Cougars cut UCSD's lead to 4-3 with a run in the top of the seventh when Osete once again reached on a Triton error and later scored on Place's groundout.
 
The Tritons took advantage of a CSUSM passed ball to make it 5-3 and eventually earn the win.
 
UCSD's Kyle Lucke (2-0) collected the win after going 2.1 innings and allowing only two hits.
 
Senior Taylor Ahearn (3-1) picked up his first loss of the season. He went 5.1 innings on the hill, relinquishing four runs on 10 hits.
 
The Cougars return home to host the Tritons in a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25 with the first pitch slated for 11 a.m.