May 15, 2013
Box Score
IRVINE, Calif. - Behind a dominate pitching performance from Louie Lechich, the University of San Diego baseball team cruised their way to a 7-3 non-conference win against No. 25 UC Irvine at Anteater Ballpark.
Lechich (2-3) put on his best performance in a Torero uniform, as he held the usually potent Irvine bats at bay. Lechich allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits, while striking out five in a career-high 6.0 innings of work. UCI's Kyle Hooper (1-3) was saddled with the loss for the Anteaters, as he allowed five runs on eight hits in 1.2 innings of work.
San Diego (32-22) wasted no time in scoring, as they pushed across four runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, AJ Robinson got things started with a single to left field. An Austin Bailey single to left field moved Robinson to third. A double-steal then scored Robinson and moved Bailey to second. Connor Joe kept things rolling, as he singled to left field, moving Bailey to third base. A wild pitch then scored Bailey and moved Joe to second. Two batters latter, Andrew Daniel hit an RBI single to left field for the fifth run, and the final run came on a Troy Conyers run-scoring double down the right field line to give USD a 4-0 lead.
The Anteaters (31-18) then took advantage of a USD fielding error and scored an unearned run on a Taylor Sparks RBI single in the first inning, which scored Chris Rabago, who was hit by a pitch, to move the score to 4-1.
Kris Bryant then unleashed his 30th home run of the season, a solo shot to left centerfield in the top of the second to give USD a 5-1 lead. Bryant became just the second player in the BBCOR bat era to hit 30 home runs in a season, tying the record set by Victor Roache from Georgia Southern in 2011.
After Irvine took back a run in the bottom of the seventh, USD tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning. The USD runs came on a bases-loaded Logan Davis RBI sacrifice fly to right field, and a Lucas Hagberg RBI single through the left side to give USD a 7-2 lead.
UCI then scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth to put the game at its final of 7-3.
Offensively for the Toreros, Joe led the way, as he went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Austin Green continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-4, and AJ Robinson went 2-for-5.
The Toreros will return to action on next Thursday up in Stockton, Calif. at the WCC Tournament. The opponent and time have yet to be determined.
