 |  |
USF Baseball Comes From Behind to Beat San Diego 11-10 in Extra Innings
May 2, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO - Small ball overcame the long ball Sunday at Benedetti Diamond, as USF finally turned the tables on San Diego, coming back on the Toreros to win the final game of the three game, West Coast Conference series 11-10 at Benedetti Diamond. USF (22-26, 9-12 WCC) tied the game with four runs in the ninth inning and won it on a single in the 11th inning. The Toreros (28-20, 14-10 WCC) hit three home runs Sunday and had six home runs in the series.
USF scored two runs in the first, fourth, and the sixth innings, and took a 6-3 lead in to the top of the seventh inning. USD would come back and for the third game in a row, the Toreros erased a Dons lead late, scoring six runs in the seventh inning to take a 9-6 lead. Having already scored two runs in the inning, Jordan Abruzzo, who homered to tie up Saturday's game in the ninth inning, went deep to give USD a 7-6 lead. Abruzzo had three hits on the day and drove in two runs. Two batters later, after a Jose Ortega double, Joey Prast hit a home run to left centerfield to make it a 9-6 game. USD would add another run in the top of the ninth when Randy Curtis homered to right center, the third home run of the game for USD. Ortega had a four-hit day for USD and Josh Hansen went 3-for-5.
With the score 10-6 in the bottom of the ninth, the Dons looked to junior Royce Fukuroku to get the rally started. Fukuroku obliged, knocking a single into right field. Senior Chris Genung came up two hitters later and knocked out his WCC and team-leading 21st double of the season, a ground rule double that gave the Dons second and third and one out. Freshman Blake Nelson then came up and cracked a single to center, driving in two runs, making the score 10-8. Senior Joe Jacobitz followed Nelson with a double, driving in pinch runner sophomore Jonnie Knoble, making it 10-9. Senior Nick Cirbo kept the rally going with the game-tying single to centerfield to score pinch runner senior Craig Click. Still with one out, sophomore Stefan Gartrell drove a ball deep to centerfield and came about five feet away from sending the crowd home happy, but he fell just short. The game would go to the 10th tied at 10-10.
After a scoreless 10th, The Dons came up in the 11th inning and got a rally going right away. Knoble, in the game as the designated hitter, singled to center and was sacrificed to second by freshman Scott Cousins. The Toreros, remembering the charge Gartrell put into the ball in the ninth, walked the right fielder intentionally, bringing freshman Lucas DeLong to the plate. On a 1-1 pitch Delong roped a single to left field and Knoble came around to score the winning run.
Genung and Cirbo led USF at the plate. Genung went 3-for-6, with a double and an RBI. Cirbo went 3-for-6, with an RBI and two runs scored. Senior Armand Gaerlan, Gartrell, and Delong all had two hits for the Dons. 11 different players had base hits for USF.
Patrick McGuigan (2-2) picked up the win for the Dons, pitching a perfect 11th. Freshman Ryan Muller pitched well, going five and two thirds, giving up three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking one. Nick Pereira did a solid job out of the bullpen as well, going three and a third inning, giving up one run on two hits.
Josh Butler (3-2) was saddled with the loss for San Diego. Starting pitcher Justin Blaine went five and two thirds innings for USD, giving up six runs on 11 hits.
Next up for USF, Santa Clara comes in next weekend for a three game series at Benedetti Diamond. The first game is set for Friday, May 7th, at 3:00 PM. The series continues with games Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 PM.
