April 29, 2005

Box Score

(San Diego, CA) - San Francisco took another step towards the school's first-ever WCC Division title and San Diego lost its third one-run game in six outings as the Dons rallied to defeat the Toreros 3-2 in 11 innings Friday at USD's Cunningham Stadium. San Diego (25-22-1; 11-11 WCC) took a one-run lead into the ninth, but USF outfielder Jonnie Noble hit a game-tying double to force extra frames and freshman sub Joey Railey drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the eleventh.

San Francisco (31-12; 15-4 WCC) has won eight consecutive games, moving two and a half games ahead of Pepperdine (26-15; 12-6 WCC) in the WCC West Division Standings.

USD starter Josh Butler was two outs away from a complete-game victory before Noble's double evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the ninth. Butler worked eight plus innings of two-run baseball, scattering eight hits before junior reliever Matt Falk (3-4) came on to record the final two outs in the USF ninth.

San Diego put Falk in a position for the win moments later, loading up the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. Walking the bases loaded and facing USD's most productive hitter in All-WCC second baseman Keoni Ruth, USF closer Patrick McGuigam (5-1) forced Ruth to hit into an inning-ending double-play groundout.

McGuigan was flawless in the tenth and eleventh, retiring all six Torero batters he faced during the extra session to win for the fifth time this season.

USD had taken an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by senior first baseman Randy Curtis and sophomore Shane Buschini broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh with an RBI knock- extending his current hit streak to 12 games.

San Francisco utilized 20 players on Friday to win the series opener. Catcher John Norfolk went 2-for-3 while Nick Pereira turned in another quality start, allowing one run and striking out three in six innings of work.