May 30, 2010
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The 15th-ranked University of San Diego baseball team downed Saint Mary's College 5-3 Sunday afternoon in a rubber game of a West Coast Conference series at USD's Cunningham Stadium to claim the series.
With the win, the Toreros conclude the regular season with a 36-20 overall record and set a WCC record with a 19-2 mark in league games. USD will now await the NCAA selection show on ESPN Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. to learn where and who they will be playing next weekend in the NCAA Regionals. With the loss, the Gaels conclude the season with a 19-32-1 and finish WCC play with an 8-13 record.
The Toreros wasted no time in scoring as they pushed across one in the bottom of the first inning. Kevin Muno got things going with a single to centerfield, then stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Chris Engell then pushed across Muno with an infield single to give USD a 1-0 lead.
USD then added four runs on four hits to its lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Steven Chatwood drew a walk to begin the frame and moved to second on a fielding error by the SMC first baseman, then moved to third on a throwing error by the pitcher. Muno then hit an RBI single to right centerfield to push across Chatwood for the second run of the inning. After Muno stole second, Matt Moynihan drew a walk, then a double steal moved the runners to third and second. Engell then drove in Muno with an infield single to give USD a 3-0 lead. After Engell stole second, Nick McCoy drove in Moynihan with a RBI infield single. The hits continued to roll as Mike Ferraro drilled a RBI single through the right side to score Engell from third, moving the score to 5-0.
The Gaels then answered back in the bottom of the sixth inning as Justin Fazio led off the inning with a solo home run to right field to move the score to 5-1.
The Gaels then cut the lead down to two runs by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. The SMC runs came on run-scoring double by Shawn O'Brien and a Donald Collins RBI single to move the score to 5-3.
Offensively for the Toreros, Muno led the way as he went 3-for-4 with one double and one RBI. Engell also had a good day at the plate as he went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
AJ Griffin (7-3) picked up the win on the mound for the Toreros, as he allowed one run on four hits, while striking out six in 6.0 innings of work. SMC starter Martin Agosta (3-6) was saddled with the loss for the Gaels as he allowed five runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings of work.
