Jan. 26, 2005

Box Score

(Hilo, Hawaii) - Playing the first of five scheduled games this week on the big island of Hawaii, San Diego played error-free baseball in defeating host Hawaii-Hilo by a score of 10-3 Wednesday night. Torero junior starter Justin Blaine was the pitcher of record for San Diego (1-3), throwing six complete innings and allowing one earned run. USD sophomore outfielder Shane Buschini blasted a solo homerun over the right-field wall, one of nine San Diego hits, spoiling the season-opener for Hawaii-Hilo (0-1).

Blaine struckout five Vulcan batters before giving-way to freshman Russell Holzhauer in the seventh. Holzhauer, a 6-foot-3 right-hander who starred at nearby Rancho Buena Vista High School last year, pitched a scoreless frame and classmate Matt Couch worked the eighth and ninth.

Hawaii native Keoni Ruth went 2-for-6 and preseason All-American Jordan Abruzzo was 2-for-4. San Diego initiated the scoring with a run in the third and broke the game open with a four-run fourth. Buschini finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, doubling and hitting his first homerun of the season.

San Diego and Hawaii-Hilo will play four more games over the next three days before USD returns to the mainland on Sunday. Single games are scheduled for Thursday 8pm (PT) and Friday 8pm (PT). A Saturday doubleheader is slated to begin at 1pm (PT).