April 22, 2011
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The University of San Diego baseball team suffered a 10-inning heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the University of Portland Friday afternoon in a West Coast Conference game at Cunningham Stadium.
With the loss, the Toreros fall to 10-26 overall and fall to 2-6 in the WCC. With the win, the Pilots improve to 14-21 overall and 4-4 in the WCC, while claiming the three-game series with the Toreros.
After the Toreros rallied to score a pair of runs in the ninth inning, the Pilots managed to push across the wining run in the top of the 10th inning. The UP run came on a Turner Gill RBI single to centerfield, which scored Ben Grubb, who had singled, to give the Pilots the 3-2 victory, as USD left one runner stranded on base in the bottom of the inning.
The Pilots got on the scoreboard first, as they pushed across one unearned run in the first inning. After Kevin Armijo singled, he then moved two bases on a USD throwing error and came home for the unearned run on a Gill RBI single to give Portland the early 1-0 lead.
The two teams then engaged in a pitchers duel between USD's Calvin Drummond and Portland's Kyle Kraus. Drummond settled down after the first inning and began to dominate the Portland batters, striking out eight , while scattering only four hits in 7.0 innings of work. Krause also looked impressive, as he scattered five hits, and didn't allow USD to score until the top of the ninth, as he allowed two runs, one earned, to force extra innings in 8.1 innings of work. Both pitchers received a no decision in a well pitched ball game.
The Pilots then added a second run in the top of the ninth inning to take a 2-0 lead. But the Toreros bats then woke up, rallying back to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Dillon Checkal got things started with a single centerfield, and he moved to third when Kris Bryant reached on a throwing error by the Portland third baseman, which also moved Bryant to third. Zack Kometani then drove in both runs with a two-run single to centerfield to tie things up, and set up the dramatic finish to the game.
Offensively for the Toreros, Kometani led the way as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Checkal also had a good game, going 2-for-5 with one run scored.
Paul Sewald (2-3) was saddled with the loss on the mound, as he allowed two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings of work. Portland's Chris Dennis (2-2) picked up the win as he allowed no runs on two hits in 1.2 innings of work.
The Toreros and Pilots will conclude the three-game series on Saturday with a 12 p.m. WCC game at Cunningham Stadium.
