May 23, 2010
Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - The 15th-ranked University of San Diego baseball team rallied back to score one run in the ninth to claim a 5-4 win against Pepperdine University in a rubber game of a West Coast Conference game Sunday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
After the Waves tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on a balk, San Diego responded with a one run top of the ninth to claim the thrilling win. Zach Walters led off the frame with a walk, and moved to second on a Kevin Muno sacrifice bunt. Chris Engell then drove in Walters on a RBI single up the middle to give the Toreros a 5-4 victory.
Pepperdine attempted a late rally as they put a runner on first in the bottom of the ninth with one out, but Matt Hauser was cool, calm, and collected on the mound not allowing any runs to score. Hauser got his next batter to fly out to centerfield, as Kalei Hanawahine, in a flat out sprint to the gap, laid his body out and robbed Ryan Heroy of an extra base hit for the second out. Hauser then got the final batter of the day, Joe Sever, to strike out swinging on a check swing, sealing the victory.
The Toreros (33-18, 17-1 WCC) wasted no time in scoring as they pushed across two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. Back-to-back singles by Kevin Muno and Chris Engell got things started. James Meador then drove in Muno with a run-scoring double down the left field line, and the second run came on a Tony Strazzara ground out to the shortstop, scoring Engell form third and giving USD a early 2-0 lead.
The Waves (21-29, 9-9 WCC) then cut the lead in half in their half of the first inning, scoring one run on three hits. The Pepperdine run came when Nate Johnson grounded into a double play, scoring Brian Humphries, who had doubled, to move the score to 2-1.
Pepperdine then evened the score in the bottom of the third inning on a Ryan Heroy run-scoring double to right centerfield, scoring Johnson, who had doubled, to move the score to 2-2.
The Waves then took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring one runs on two hits. The Waves' runs came on a Ryan Van Amburg run-scoring double to left center to give Pepperdine a 3-2 lead.
The Toreros regained the lead in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits. With two outs Kevin Muno reached on a fielding error by the Pepperdine third baseman, and moved to second base on the same play. Engell then drove in Muno with a RBI single, and he moved to second on a James Meador RBI single. Tony Strazzara then drove in the next run with an RBI single to center to give USD a 4-3 lead.
Engell led the USD offense as he went 5-for-4 with two RBI, including the game-winning RBI. Meador was the only other Torero to record multiple hits as he went 2-for-4 with a double, and one RBI.
Hauser (4-2) was credited with the win on the mound for the Toreros as he allowed one run on two hits in 2.0 innings of work. Pepperdine's Ricky Villarreal (1-1) was saddled with the loss as he allowed one run on no hits in 1.1 innings of work.
The Toreros will return to action on Monday as they travel to Cal State Northridge to take on the Matadors in a 3 p.m. non-conference game.
