LA JOLLA, Calif. – In the series finale against No. 15-ranked University of California, San Diego, Western Oregon University's baseball team hung with the Tritons over the opening seven-plus innings until a two-run home run in their final at-bat handed UCSD a 5-1 victory Tuesday at Triton Ballpark.

Western Oregon (0-4) would get hits from four different Wolves – senior Marcus Hinkle, senior Austin Hamilton, junior Nathan Etheridge, and junior Cody Sullivan – with junior Cody Poznanski driving in WOU's lone run on a bases loaded fielder's choice. Junior Garrett Alvarez would get the start for Western Oregon, as he allowed three earned runs on seven hits over the opening 5.0 innings to go along with a game-high six strikeouts. Alvarez would handed the ball over to a quartet of relievers – freshman Brady Miller, senior Christian Morrison, junior Gary Steindorf, and junior Michael Bennett – for the final 3.0 innings, as the bullpen allowed a combined two earned runs on three hits with a pair of K's.

UC San Diego (4-0) was led offensively by Brandon Shirley with a 3-for-5 performance, while Troy Cruz and Brett Levy also tallied a pair of hits for the Tritons. Cruz would also pick up the victory allowing just one earned run on three hits over the opening 6.0 innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen that featured Chad Rieser and John Erhardt.

Neither team would score over the opening two innings until UCSD's Justin Flatt belted his first home run of the season via a solo shot over the right field wall resulting in a 1-0 lead for the home team.

UC San Diego would hold the lead until the top of the fifth inning when Western Oregon tied the game at 1-1 on Poznanski's aforementioned RBI fielder's choice that scored junior Caleb Falck after he was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, UCSD retook the lead on a RBI single by Jack Larsen before Erik Lewis drove in an insurance run via a run-scoring single to left field that increased the Tritons' lead to 3-1.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the eighth inning, as the two squads combined to register three hits between the fifth and eighth innings.

UC San Diego would add the final two runs to the scoreboard in its final at-bat via a two-run home run off the bat of Shirley that also scored Levy for the final margin of 5-1.

Western Oregon will continue its week-long Southern California road trip on Thursday, February 5, with a single game against Point Loma Nazarene University beginning at 2 p.m. at Carroll B. Land Stadium in San Diego, California.