LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay Baseball team endured its last road trip of the regular season as it battled UC San Diego on Friday night to open a 4–game series with the Tritons. The Otter offense struggled in the opener, falling 8–0 to the hosts at Triton Ballpark.

The Otters recorded a mere four hits against UCSD starter Justin Donatella who pitched six innings of shutout ball with 12 strikeouts. A fifth Otter recorded a hit in the eighth inning, but there were no runs to show for it.

UCSD got the best of three CSUMB pitchers scoring eight times including two three–run innings, sending the Otters off with the 8–0 loss in game one. Arguably the most effective pitcher was Andrew Astone (Fresno, Calif. / San Joaquin Memorial HS) who pitched three innings of one–run baseball while fanning two.

The later half of the six pitchers used were able to hold the Tritons scoreless for three and one–third innings while striking five batters. However, the CSUMB offense was unable to start any sort of comeback, getting shutout for just the third time this season.

Monterey Bay and UCSD will face off in doubleheader action tomorrow beginning at noon.