March 26, 2006

Box Score

San Diego, Calif. - Two four-run innings powered the Pacific baseball team to its second sweep of the season as the Tigers defeated San Diego State, 10-4, on Sunday, Mar. 26.

With the win, the Tigers moved to 16-7 on the season, while San Diego State fell to 6-23 overall. The Pacific victory also gave the Tigers a season-high fifth consecutive win, while San Diego State extended its program record losing streak to 13 games.

A four-run second inning got the Tigers on the board first as the Tigers scored four runs on three hits and two San Diego State errors. Senior John Devany (Danville, Calif.) started the Pacific rally with a one-out single through the left side. Freshman Alex Zanini (Stockton, Calif.) followed by hoping a double over the third baseman's head to put runners at second and third with one out. The next Pacific batter, senior Will Brindza (Sherwood, Ore.) grounded the ball to third base. Devany broke for the plate on contact. The pressure of the play, forced Aztec third baseman Tim O'Brien to bobble the ball, allowing Brindza to reach first and Devany to score.

Leading 1-0, Pacific sophomore Adam Ching (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) delivered a two-run triple into right field, plating both Zanini and Brindza. As Ching slid into third base, the relay throw from San Diego State's Nick Romero bounced past third and into the San Diego State dugout, sending Ching home and giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

Two local athletes for the Tigers, extended Pacific's lead to 5-0 in the top of the third. Senior Ramon Glasgow (Stockton, Calif.) singled to left-center with one out, two batters later with Glasgow at second, Zanini doubled down the left field line to bring home Glasgow and extend the Tigers' lead to 5-0.

San Diego State answered back with a run in the third inning on a leadoff double by Joe Scaperotta and a two-out single from Paul Smyth.

The Aztecs continued to cut into the Tigers' lead in the bottom of the fourth as Joey Huskins led off the inning with a solo home run, then a two-out triple from shortstop Lance Zawadski drove in Scaperotta, who had walked.

Leading 5-3, the Tigers regained control of the game with four runs in the sixth inning. Once again it was Devany that got the Pacific rally started, drawing a leadoff walk. After Zanini sent Devany to second with a sacrifice bunt, junior Clint Eastman (Pleasanton, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Ching then launched his second extra-base hit of the game, a double into left-center field, plating Devany and sending Eastman to third. One out later, senior Matt Berezay (Manteca, Calif.) stroked a 2-2 pitch through the left side of the infield, scoring both Eastman and Ching to make it an 8-3 contest. Back-to-back singles from senior Anthony Jackson (Modesto, Calif.) and Glasgow pushed the Tigers' lead to 9-3 as Berezay came in to score.

San Diego State got a run in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run from Quintin Berry, while Pacific added a run in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI single from sophomore Brett Manning (Boulder, Colo.).

Pacific junior Jake Wild (Kingsburg, Calif.) collected the win (2-2) in relief for the Tigers as he allowed on run on two hits in four innings. San Diego State's Will Miller (1-2) suffered the loss as he allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings.

Berezay and Glasgow led the way offensively for the Tigers as each finished with three hits. Ching, meanwhile, was 2-for-6 with three RBI.

The Tigers will be back in action on Tuesday, Mar. 28 as Pacific hosts No. 15 Oregon State at 6 p.m. in Stockton Ballpark