IRVINE, Calif. — Before leaving on a four game road trip, Concordia Baseball (1-3, 0-0 PWC) hosted No. 7 UC San Diego (1-0, 0-0 CCAA) at Eagles field on Thursday afternoon. The Eagles took the lead in the first inning but fell to the Tritons 5-3 after nine. 

UC San Diego secured second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference in 2017. The Tritons were picked second in the 2018 D2 West Region Top Five Pre-Season Rankings behind fellow PacWest member Cal Baptist. Collegiate Baseball ranked the Tritons as No. 7 in the 2018 NCAA Div. II preseason poll after a 2017 season record of 44-19. 

Sophomore LHP Alex Zalasky went four innings and gave up four hits and two runs. Jack Ruegge entered the game in the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. Ruegge allowed four hits and two runs. Centerfielder Dillon Millar led the Eagles going two-for-five with a single to left field and an RBI single to right field. 

The first inning rally began on a throwing error from the UCSD shortstop and off the bat of Haloa Dudoit. Davis Tominaga singled to left center and Dudoit advanced to third. Then, Hunter Holland hit an RBI double to score Dudoit and move Tominaga to third. Bailey Collins rounded out the first inning scoring for the Eagles with an RBI single to the shortstop in the grass. The Eagles led the Tritons 2-0. 

UCSD found its way back in the third inning after a two-run homer over the right field fence. The Tritons took the lead in the fifth inning after a walk, single, then RBI double. 

Concordia put another run on the board in the eighth inning after a double by Nick Grimes and an RBI single to right field by Millar. The Tritons took their first win of the season 5-3 over the Eagles and both teams will head to La Jolla, Calif. for a weekend tournament hosted by UCSD. 

The Eagles look to compete at Triton Ballpark in La Jolla, Calif. Feb. 9th-11th. Competition includes No. 4 Colorado Mesa and two more opportunities to defeat No. 7 UCSD.