April 11, 2009
SPOKANE, Wash. - The 21st-ranked University of San Diego baseball team dropped the rubber game, 4-2, to Gonzaga University Saturday afternoon in a West Coast Conference game at Washington Trust Field at Patterson Complex.
With the loss, the Toreros fall to 23-13 overall and 7-2 in the WCC. With the win, the Zags improve to 23-10 overall and 6-3 in the WCC.
The Toreros wasted no time in scoring, as they scored one run on one hit in the first inning. Sean Nicol led off the inning wit a single to left field. Nicol then stole second and advanced to third on a error by the GU catcher. Chris Engell then drove in Nicol when he grounded out to the first baseman to give USD a 1-0 lead.
The Zags then evened the score in their half of the first inning as they scored one run on a Tyson Van Winkle RBI single, which scored Evan Wells, who had singled, to knot things up at 1-1.
San Diego then doubled its runs in the top of the second inning, scoring one run on two hits. Nick McCoy led off the inning with a double down the left field line and he moved to third on a Jon Hotta sacrifice bunt. Tony Strazzara then doubled in McCoy to give USD a 2-1 lead.
The Bulldogs then scored one run in the third and two in the fourth inning to come from behind and take the series with a 4-2 win.
Offensively for the Toreros, Strazzara led the way as he went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. Hotta was the second USD player to record multiple hits as he went 2-for-4.
Matt Thomson (5-1) was saddled with the loss for the Toreros, as he allowed four runs on seven hits, while striking out eight batters in 8.0 innings of work. Steven Ames (6-0) was credited with the win on the mound for the Zags, as he allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits in 9.0 innings of work.
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The Toreros will return to action on Tuesday as they return to the friendly confines of Cunningham Stadium to take on No. 5 UC Irvine at 3 p.m.
