May. 1, 2005
Box Score
(San Diego, CA) - San Diego rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete an improbable 3-2 comeback victory over San Francisco Sunday at USD's Cunningham Stadium. Freshman outfielder
Justin Snyder hit a walk-off game-winning single with the bases loaded, setting off an extended celebration for a San Diego (27-22-1; 13-11 WCC) club that moves to within one game of Gonzaga in the race for the West Coast Conference Coast Division title.
San Diego's late-inning dramatics Sunday, paired with Gonzaga's winless three-game road swing to Santa Clara, sets up a pivotal series in Spokane next weekend between the Toreros and the Bulldogs (25-18; 12-8 WCC). San Francisco (31-14; 15-6 WCC) failed to distance themselves from Pepperdine (27-16; 13-7 WCC) in the WCC West.
Both San Francisco and San Diego received outstanding pitching performances from respective starter's Scott Cousins (USF) and Matt Couch (USD).
Couch (3-3), a true freshman from Sacramento and Del Campo High School turned in his most impressive collegiate outing to date, throwing a career-high nine complete innings while allowing just two runs on five hits.
San Francisco was able to take an early 1-0 lead off Couch in the second inning. A groundball single off the bat of USF catcher Jon Norfolk put the Dons in front 1-0 and USF later extended its lead to 2-0 on a bunt single by Don third baseman Andrew Smith in the top of the seventh.
Cousins dealt eight scoreless innings for USF. The two-way standout surrendered just four hits and was two outs away from his second complete-game shutout of the season before giving-way to closer Patrick McGuigan (5-2) with one on and one out in the bottom of the ninth.
In the first of a series of strategic moves in the inning for USD, Matt Weston was utilized to pinch-hit against McGuigan and reached base on a throwing error by USF shortstop Tavo Hall. With runners on the corners, Torero junior Matt Falk followed with a pinch-hit RBI-single to plate San Diego's first run and narrow the USF lead to 2-1.
With USF clinging to a one-run lead, USD junior pinch-hitter Tyler Fernandes executed a suicide squeeze, scoring Gavin Ng from third to even the game at 2-2. Fernandes was credited with a bunt single on the play and in the process McGuigan was charged with an error after his futile attempt to throw out Ng at home eluded the glove of Norfolk, the Don's sophomore catcher.
An intentional walk loaded the bases and USF head coach Nino Giarratano pulled McGuigan in favor of hard-throwing senior righty T.J. Franco. USD realized the comeback victory and claimed the series when freshman outfielder Justin Snyder hit a ball over the first base bag and down the right field line to score Falk from third.
GAME NOTES: USD outfielder Shane Buschini extended his current hitting streak to 14 games, singling in the USD fifth to go 1-for-3... Torero RH Matt Couch is now 3-1 in six starts since assuming the role of USD's third starter in late March... San Diego is 8-13-1 at home this season (7-5 at home in WCC games) after going 21-6 at home a year ago.
- Nick Mirkovich (USD Media Relations)
