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Despite schedule displacements due to the unceasing rain, the hottest spring team in San Clemente is the Triton baseball team.
San Clemente (8-2, 1-0) has won eight games in a row, with its tightest margin of victory at two runs in a shutout win at Fullerton on Saturday, March 18. The Tritons have scored 72 runs in this stretch, with only 19 runs allowed. San Clemente has moved up to No. 7 in the latest CIF-SS Division 3 rankings.
The Tritons kicked off this streak a month ago with a 19-0 tournament win at Loara on Feb. 21, followed by a 4-0 home win over Murrieta Valley on Feb. 23. In between the tournament games, San Clemente slipped in a Sea View League-opening win at Aliso Niguel, 9-5, on March 7.
Following its shutout victory at Fullerton on Saturday, the Tritons continued in the afternoon with a 10-3 win over Douglas of Minden, Nevada, in tournament play. San Clemente concluded its tournament run with a home win over Spanish Springs of Sparks, Nevada, 12-4, on Monday, March 20.
Blazing the trail for San Clemente has been senior crusher Chase Brunson. The senior outfielder leads the Tritons in hits (18), batting average (.514), runs (16), RBI (9), stolen bases (3) and home runs, with four of the team’s six dingers.
Seniors Joey Bookataub and Rhyn Chambers are right behind Brunson in RBIs with eight and seven, respectively. Junior Jake Wood is second in hits with 13 to go along with six RBI, two doubles and a home run.
On the mound, sophomore Luke Acuna has been stellar in his team-leading 15 1/3 innings pitched. Acuna hasn’t allowed a run all season, striking out two and compiling a 2-0 record. Sophomore Mike Erspamer leads the Tritons in wins at 3-0 and strikeouts with 14 in 13 2/3 innings. Erspamer also sports a 2.05 ERA, and at the plate, the sophomore has 12 hits and 12 runs scored with a team-high five doubles.
Junior Carson Nicholson is 2-0 with 10 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings pitched and a 2.63 ERA.
San Clemente returns to the Sea View League on Friday, March 24, at San Juan Hills and continues at home on Wednesday, March 29, against El Toro.
