LA JOLLA, Calif. – Despite a combined 3-for-5 performance at the plate by junior Cody Poznanski, Western Oregon University's baseball team opened the 2015 season with a pair of losses against No. 15-ranked University of California, San Diego, 4-0 & 8-3, Sunday at the brand-new Triton Ballpark.

Along with Poznanski, seniors Matt Taylor and Jake Whisler also registered multiple hits with Taylor recording three hits that included the Wolves' first runs batted in of the season in the second game. Four other WOU players – senior Austin Hamilton, senior Garret Harpole, senior Tim Rausch, and junior Brandon Oliver – also recorded a hit on the afternoon with Rausch registering the Wolves' other RBI in Game #2.

Junior Darrien Moran would get the ball in the season opener for Western Oregon going five innings before giving way to a quartet of relievers – junior Shawn Domke, senior Spencer Trautmann, freshman Brady Miller, and senior Christian Morrison – for the final four innings. In Game #2, senior Clark McKitrick went the opening inning before three relievers – junior Michael Bennett, junior Tyler Bennett, and senior Jesse Pratt – closed out the game for the Wolves.

GAME #1 — UC SAN DIEGO 4, WESTERN OREGON 0 [BOX SCORE]

The season opener for both teams would be a pitching dual over the opening four-and-a-half innings with both teams combining to record seven hits with Western Oregon threatening in the top of the third inning when Poznanski registered a one-out single up the middle before Taylor singled through the right side one batter later only to have Whisler thrown out at third to end the inning.

UC San Diego would strike first in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Tritons scored a pair of runs on three hits that included Brandon Shirley's eventual game-winning RBI double to left field before Jack Larson doubled home Shirley to extended UC San Diego's lead to 2-0 after five innings.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the seventh inning when UCSD plated another two runs on three more hits, including Larsen's second RBI of the afternoon via a single up the middle before he came around to score on Erik Lewis' double down the right field line for the final margin of 4-0 in favor of the home team.

Poznanski would lead Western Oregon with a perfect 2-for-2 performance at the plate with Whisler and Taylor recording the other hits for the Wolves, while Moran suffered the loss after 5.0 innings of work allowing a pair of earned runs to go along with a team-high four strikeouts.

Larsen would lead UC San Diego with a 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate with a pair of RBI, while Trevor Scott picked up his first win of the season behind a solid 6.0 innings of work with a game-high seven strikeouts.

GAME #2 — UC SAN DIEGO 8, WESTERN OREGON 3 [BOX SCORE]

The second game of the double header would not see either team score until the bottom of the second inning when UCSD plated an opening run via a single to center field by Steven Coe before Brian Choi belted the Tritons' first home run of the season via a grand slam to right field that handed the home team a quick 5-0 lead.

UC San Diego would add one more run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Larsen connected on his first home run of the season via a solo shot down the right field line to extend the Tritons' lead to 6-0.

Western Oregon would trim UCSD's lead in half in the top of the fifth inning when the Wolves scored three runs on four hits that included Taylor's two-RBI single up the middle that scored Poznanski and Harpole before Rausch drove home Whisler to pull WOU within 6-3 after four-and-a-half innings.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, UC San Diego would put the game away with a solo home run by Justin Flatt and a RBI by Michael Mann giving the Tritons an 8-3 lead.

Taylor led Western Oregon with a 2-for-4 effort that included a pair of RBI, while McKitrick suffered his first loss of the season allowing five earned runs on three hits in one inning of work.

Mann's two hits led UC San Diego's offense, while Alon Leischman earned the victory allowing three unearned runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work before turning the ball over to Javier Carrillo for the final 2.1 innings en route to earning the save.

Both teams continue their four-game series tomorrow – Monday, February 2 – with a single game beginning at 6 p.m. at Triton Ballpark in La Jolla, California.