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USF Baseball Falls 19-9 at No. 9 San Diego in WCC Play
May 5, 2007
(San Diego) - USF scored nine runs in the fourth inning, but No. 9 San Diego answered with nine in the bottom of the frame and rolled to a 19-9 West Coast Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Cunningham Stadium. The Dons (24-25, 6-11 WCC) recorded 16 hits in the contest, but the Toreros (37-14, 15-2 WCC) tallied 18, including a pair of home runs to win their 14th straight league contest.
It was a great day to be hitter and a lousy day for pitchers. The two teams combined for 28 runs (all earned) off 34 hits. Senior designated hitter Chris Bacigalupi (3-for-4, 2b, 3 RBI), senior catcher Blake Nelson (3-for-5, RBI) and freshman infielder Derek Poppert (3-for-5, 2b, RBI) each collected three hits for the Dons. Junior infielder Joey Railey collected a pair of RBI with a fourth inning single.
USF punished sophomore left-hander Josh Romanski, who entered the game with a WCC-leading 2.10 ERA, allowing just 21 earned runs in 90.0 innings. The Dons tagged Romanski for nine runs, all earned off nine hits in 3.2 innings.
San Francisco sent 14 batters to the plate in the fourth and recorded nine hits in the frame. The biggest blows were struck by back-to-back RBI doubles from Bialosky and Bacigalupi, an RBI single from Poppert in his second hit of the inning, two run singles from Railey and Bacigalupi and Nelson capped the Dons scoring with an RBI single.
Unfortunately the Dons lead lasted only 2/3 of an inning as the Toreros wasted no time in posting a nine-run fourth to tie the game. The biggest USD blasts came on a two-run homer by infielder Justin Snyder and Romanski got his revenge with a three-run blast to right to tie the game.
Senior right-hander Jason Dufloth stiffened in the dugout during USF's outburst in the fourth and walked the first batter he faced, leaving after 3.0 innings, allowing two runs off three hits and walked two. Senior left-hander Cole Stipovich relieved Dufloth and struggled, allowing seven runs off six hits and walked one in 0.2 innings.
It was all San Diego from there as they added 10 insurance runs off a shaky Dons bullpen. The Toreros scored six runs in the sixth and tacked on four more in the eighth.
Senior right-hander John Quine (4-3) suffered the loss, allowing five runs off four hits in 2.0 innings. Senior right-hander Anthony Slama (2-2) picked up the win for the Toreros, tossing 4.1 innings, allowing no runs off four hits.
USF looks to avoid the sweep in the series finale Sunday. First pitch against the Toreros is set for 1:00 PM at Cunningham Stadium. The Dons will send junior right-hander Tommy Peale (2-1) to the mound.
