Baseball | 2/5/2012 3:01:00 PM

Box Score [Box score]

LA JOLLA, Calif. - Western Oregon head baseball coach Jeremiah Robbins is always preaching to his team about seizing the opportunity when it presents itself, and today the No. 33 Wolves capitalized on the opportunity to make early season noise in Division II baseball with another one run victory over No. 30 UC San Diego to take the series.

After taking two of the first three games of the series, coach Robbins and the Wolves turned to the senior Kirk Lind in game four. However, even before he would throw a pitch, he would have a lead to work with thanks to the top of the Wolves' order. AJ Royal led off the inning with a triple, and after Brady Locker walked Blake Miller singled Royal in for the first run of the game. Locker would come in on a sacrifice fly by Scott David. Bo Folkinga capped off the scoring with a double to plate Miller and give WOU the 3-0 lead.

Lind would take over from there. He threw four scoreless innings to open the game, which included retiring 10 straight batters. The Tritons would break through for one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to knock Lind from the game with WOU leading 5-3.

Zach Nuno then came into the game and did not yield a hit in the seventh or eighth innings. Nuno went back out there to start the ninth and the Tritons started the inning off with a single and double to put runners at second and third with no out.

Robbins then went to the bullpen for Alex Burke.  Burke got the first batter to line out to center field for the sacrifice fly and bring the score to 5-4. However, on the sacrifice fly the runner was forced to stay at second. Burke then struck out Spencer Frazier to set up a match up with preseason All-American Danny Susdorf. Susdorf would go on to ground out softly to the pitcher as the Wolves sealed the series.

"All the momentum was with UC San Diego at the end but our guys made some big pitches to get out of trouble," Robbins explained. "Burke came in and shut the door. I am very excited about the way we pitched out of the bullpen all series."

Lind (1-0) became the third Wolves' starting pitcher of the weekend to earn a win. He went six innings, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out seven.

"We have lots of confidence in Kirk and knew he'd find a way to get it done," said Robbins. "He got settled in early and carried us."

Blake Miller went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for WOU. Scott David knocked in two runs on a pair of sacrifice flies. Richard Seigel and Garrett Tuck had two hits apiece for the Tritons.

"I am very proud of our players and the way they stayed with the goal of playing good baseball all weekend," Robbins said.

The WOU baseball team will now travel up the coast to open a five-game series with Sonoma State on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 1:00 p.m.