April 16, 2010
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif - Behind powerful performances by junior right-hander Kyle Blair and the Torero offense, the University of San Diego baseball team (18-15, 4-0 WCC) grabbed the first game of the three-game West Coast Conference series against the Santa Clara University Broncos (14-17, 1-5), 10-2, Friday afternoon at Cunningham Stadium.
The Broncos got out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first on two hits and a walk. The run came on a Geoff Klein bases loaded sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Lucas Herbst, who had singled, to start the inning. Blair ended the first by inducing the next hitter into a double play, and was lights-out from that point on.
Blair (4-3) reeled off seven powerful innings after the first, never allowing more than one runner to reach base in any inning until the eighth. Growing stronger as the game moved on, he looked as good as he has all year, throwing eight complete innings, allowing two runs on eight hits, while striking out seven in picking up his fourth win of the season.
The Torero offense did not require much pitching help though, as they came right back with three runs in the bottom of the first. Junior second baseman Tony Strazzara started the rally with a two out single up the middle. After junior shortstop Zach Walters was hit by a pitch, senior right fielder James Meador blooped a single in front of the Bronco right fielder to score Strazzara. Back to back walks to junior outfielder Mike Ferraro and senior catcher Nick McCoy scored Walters, and another walk to sophomore catcher Zach Kometani scored Meador to give USD a 3-1 lead.
After USD scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning on RBI singles by Meador and Nick McCoy, San Diego blew the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning on the strength of four hits, including a leadoff frozen rope homerun to left field off the bat of junior first baseman Victor Sanchez. Bronco starter Nate Garcia then smacked junior center fielder Kevin Muno in the back, to keep things rolling. A single by senior third baseman Chris Engell put runners on first and third before a wild pitch sent Muno scampering home and moving Engell to second base. Two batters later, Meador drove a double down the right field line to score Engell. A pinch-hit single that found a hole on the left side of the infield off the bat of sophomore outfielder Jon Hotta scored Meador to increase the Torero lead to 9-1.
USD added another run in the bottom of the seventh off of Kometani's leadoff single and an Engell triple into the right-center gap, to finish their scoring at 10 runs for the game.
The Broncos did come back to score for a second time in the top of the eighth, but it did little to dent the Torero lead. Geoff Klein's second RBI for Santa Clara came on a single to bring home Lucas Herbst, who had singled, to put the game at its final of 10-2.
San Diego is back on the field against Santa Clara tomorrow, at 1:00 pm, at Cunningham Stadium.
