March 10, 2011
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif.- The University of San Diego baseball team dropped a non-conference matchup to No. 19 Connecticut 6-4 on Thursday afternoon from Cunningham Stadium. The Toreros (3-8) mounted a three-run ninth inning rally, but it was not enough to overcome the Huskies' (6-5) lead.
The Toreros drew first blood when, in the bottom of the first, Dillon Checkal and Zack Kometani put together back-to-back singles and Corey LeVier drove in Checkal from third on a sacrifice fly to rightfield.
USD held the 1-0 edge until the fifth inning, when John Andreoli singled and promptly stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Kometani. Connecticut leadoff man Mike Friel plated Andreoli on a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Keeping the Husky momentum going was shortstop Nick Ahmed, who drove in Billy Ferriter on a single to left to put Connecticut up 2-1.
UCONN would add another run in the seventh on a Ferriter groundout that brought in Doug Elliot, who had reached on a single and advanced on a Torero throwing error, which was followed by a single from Andreoli.
The eighth inning included two more Connecticut runs as Husky centerfielder George Springer led off the inning with a single between third and short. Springer was pushed to second on a groundout by LJ Mazzilli and then advanced to third on a passed ball. Thirdbaseman Kevin Vance drove Springer in with a single to left. UCONN posted their second run of the inning when Andreoli scored Vance on a sacrifice fly, giving the Huskies a 5-1 lead.
Connecticut added their final run of the game in the ninth when Springer tripled to rightcenter field, driving in Mike Nemeth.
The Toreros did not go quietly however, as thirdbaseman Kris Bryant ripped a single down the leftfield line and rightfielder Scott Schauer dropped a base hit in between the Connecticut rightfielder and secondbaseman. With two on and two out, down in the count 1-2, Julian Duran notched his first RBIs as a Torero when he connected on a two-run double in the rightfield corner. Leftfielder Jon Hotta followed that with an RBI single up the middle that scored Duran and cut the Connecticut lead to 6-4, where the Huskies would close it out.
Bryant went 2-for-4 on the day, leading the Torero offense with a single and a double. The Huskies were led by Elliot's 3-for-4 day at the plate, while four other Connecticut hitters had two hits apiece.
Bob Van Woert (1-0) earned the win for the Huskies, going 6.1 innings, allowing four hits and one run, while walking two and striking out five. Calvin Drummond (1-2) was pinned with the loss as he went six innings, giving up eight hits and three runs, while walking one and striking out three.
The Toreros and Huskies continue with game three of the four-game series on Friday, March 11th with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m.
