April 15, 2006

Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The 17th-ranked University of San Diego baseball team (23-14, 5-3 WCC) dropped a 7-3 West Coast Conference decision in the first game of a doubleheader to Loyola Marymount University (15-25, 4-4 WCC) Saturday afternoon at Cunningham Stadium to even the three-game series at one game a piece

The Lions jumped out the early lead in the top of the third inning as they were able to take advantage of one Toreros error to push across two runs. With the bases loaded USD committed a fielding error to allow Casey Gordon, who had singled, to score from third. LMU's second run came on a Chris Pettit sacrifice fly to center field.

The Lions then tacked on one run in the top of the fourth on an Anthony Soto RBI single, one run in the fifth inning on a Casey Gordon run scoring double and one run in the sixth inning on an Eric Johnson RBI single to push the lead to 5-0.

The Toreros took back three runs in the sixth inning to cut the lead to two. The Toreros loaded the bases with back-to-back-to-back singles by Jordan Abruzzo, Shane Buschini and Daniel Magness. Kevin Hansen then pushed across the first run with a blooper to right field. Josh Romanski drove in the second run on a RBI single to center field and the final USD run came by way of a Ryan Lilly sacrifice fly to center field.

The Lions would tack on two more runs in the eighth inning to put the game at its final of 7-3.

Offensively for the Toreros, Abruzzo was the hero going 3-for-5.

Junior right-hander Josh Butler (8-3) was saddled with the loss for the Toreros allowing five runs, three earned, on 15 hits in 7.0 innings of work. Andy Beal (3-6) picked up the win for the Lions allowing three runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings of work.

The Toreros and Lions will return to action this afternoon in the second half of a doubleheader at Cunningham Stadium.