LA JOLLA, Calif. - Ryan Goodbrand threw seven scoreless innings to help lead the UC San Diego baseball team to a 3-0 shutout over league opponent Cal State L.A. Thursday night at Triton Ballpark.

Winners of three straight, UCSD improved its season record to 27-18. The Tritons remain in first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 25-12 mark and need just one more victory to clinch a spot in the four-team league tournament. CSULA, which had won seven of its last eight games coming in, fell to 22-17 overall and 18-15 in the CCAA.

Goodbrand upped his season record to 8-0 with the win. The junior gave up seven hits while striking out six and walking one. It was the fourth time he's gone seven-plus innings in a start.

Senior Elias Tuma worked the eighth and ninth innings and preserved the shutout, UCSD's second of the season. He surrendered just one hit en route to collecting his second consecutive save.

The Golden Eagles out-hit the Tritons, 8-5, but UCSD took advantage of it hits as well as walks issued by the CSULA pitching staff.

Center fielder Danny Susdorf had two doubles, a run scored, two walks and a stolen base. First baseman Richard Seigel knocked in two runs and stole a base, while left fielder Gregg Ringold scored a run, drove in another and walked twice.

Cal State L.A. starting pitcher Ryan Santhon (3-1) gave up the three runs and four hits while walking eight and striking out four over 6.2 innings of work.

Seven Golden Eagles accounted for the team's eight hits. Right fielder Cliff Quick was 2-for-4 and third baseman Daniel Duran had CSULA's only extra base hit, a double in the third inning.

UC San Diego plated its first run in the third inning. For the second time in the game, Susdorf led off with a double and then took third on a wild pitch. Seigel drove him in with a ground ball out to second base.

In the fourth, Liske drew a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to second and scored on a single to left field by Ringold, putting the Tritons up 2-0.

Another leadoff walk came back to hurt the Golden Eagles in the seventh as Ringold walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice. With two outs, Seigel singled to right, scoring Ringold and giving UCSD another insurance run.

The Eagles had at least one hit in each of the first six innings but couldn't push any runs across.

Goodbrand retired the side in order in the seventh and Tuma did the same in the eighth. After a leadoff single by first baseman James Wharton in the ninth, Tuma got the next three batters to close out the game. 

Both teams left seven runners on base.

The two teams continue the four-game series Friday with another 6 p.m. game at Triton Ballpark. They then move to Reeder Field in Los Angeles for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.

- UCSDtritons.com -