April 11, 2009
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - The 21st-ranked University of San Diego baseball team dropped the rubber game, 4-2, to Gonzaga University Saturday afternoon in a West Coast Conference game at Washington Trust Field at Patterson Complex.
With the loss, the Toreros fall to 23-13 overall and 7-2 in the WCC. With the win, the Zags improve to 23-10 overall and 6-3 in the WCC.
The Toreros wasted no time in scoring, as they scored one run on one hit in the first inning. Sean Nicol led off the inning wit a single to left field. Nicol then stole second and advanced to third on a error by the GU catcher. Chris Engell then drove in Nicol when he grounded out to the first baseman to give USD a 1-0 lead.
The Zags then evened the score in their half of the first inning as they scored one run on a Tyson Van Winkle RBI single, which scored Evan Wells, who had singled, to knot things up at 1-1.
San Diego then doubled its runs in the top of the second inning, scoring one run on two hits. Nick McCoy led off the inning with a double down the left field line and he moved to third on a Jon Hotta sacrifice bunt. Tony Strazzara then doubled in McCoy to give USD a 2-1 lead.
The Bulldogs then scored one run in the third and two in the fourth inning to come from behind and take the series with a 4-2 win.
Offensively for the Toreros, Strazzara led the way as he went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. Hotta was the second USD player to record multiple hits as he went 2-for-4.
Matt Thomson (5-1) was saddled with the loss for the Toreros, as he allowed four runs on seven hits, while striking out eight batters in 8.0 innings of work. Steven Ames (6-0) was credited with the win on the mound for the Zags, as he allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits in 9.0 innings of work.
The Toreros will return to action on Tuesday as they return to the friendly confines of Cunningham Stadium to take on No. 5 UC Irvine at 3 p.m.
