May 12, 2004
Box Score
(San Diego, CA; Cunningham Stadium) - San Diego won for the 12th time in 14 games, knocking off Pac-10 member California 7-4 Wednesday afternoon. USD (32-21) benefited from another strong pitching performance from senior Aaron Wilson. Joey Prast went 2-for-3 and Jordan Abruzzo homered for the seventh time this season. San Diego improved to 18-6 at home this season and will take the weekend off before wrapping up its regular season schedule next week against visiting St. Mary's.
California (24-29) managed an early 1-0 lead after Cal speedster David Weiner hit a one-out triple and scored on a sacrifice fly in the first inning. USD immediately answered with a run in the bottom half of the first. Joey Prast doubled to right centerfield and evened the game at 1-1, scoring on a sac fly off the bat of freshman catcher Jordan Abruzzo.
Prast again scored on a sac fly in the third to give USD its first lead at 2-1. In the fourth it was Prast who sacrificed his at-bat for a run, laying down a squeeze bunt that pushed home Shane Buschini. San Diego led 3-1 after four innings of play.
California threatened, loading the bases in both the third and sixth innings while putting runners on the corners in the fifth, but were turned away each time by the steady pitching of Wilson. Wilson (10-3) fanned seven and held the Bears to two runs in six and two-thirds innings, winning a for a league-best 10th time.
Bear starter Kyle Crist (3-8) lasted four innings, suffered his eighth loss- giving up three runs, four hits and three walks. California used five different pitchers, combining to strikeout just one USD batter while issuing nine free passes.
Batting right-handed Jordan Abruzzo launched a solo homerun in the fifth, his seventh of the season. The Toreros are batting .319 as a team, with eight everyday players hitting above .300. The San Diego pitching staff now owns a collective ERA of 4.66, with left-handed sophomore Justin Blaine throwing two-plus innings in relief Wednesday to earn his second save.
