April 1, 2006

Box Score

San Luis Obispo, Calif. - The Pacific Baseball team suffered a 5-3 loss in the second game of a three-game series with the Cal Poly Mustangs on Saturday, April 1.

With the loss, the Tigers fell to 17-9 on the season and 1-1 in the Big West Conference. Cal Poly, meanwhile, moved to 17-14 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Two Pacific errors in the bottom of the third inning, led to four Cal Poly runs as the Tigers' dug a 4-0 hole.

The score remained 4-0 until the top of the seventh inning, when Pacific loaded the bases with no outs to chase Cal Poly starter, Bud Norris.

Sophomore Brett Manning (Boulder, Colo.) got the Pacific rally started with a walk, then senior John Devany (Danville, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Freshman Alex Zanini (Stockton, Calif.) followed with a single up the middle to chase Norris.

Cal Poly reliever Casey Fien retired the first two batters he faced with allowing a run, but sophomore Justin Baum (La Mesa, Calif.) got the Tigers on the board with a two-run ground rule double down the left field line. Baum's double sent Zanini to third, then a wild pitch allowed the Tiger shortstop to come home, pulling Pacific within a run at 4-3.

The Mustangs, however, responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh and Fien retired the Tigers in the eighth and ninth innings to record his first save of the season.

Norris (6-2) picked up the win as he allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in six innings.

Pacific freshman Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.) suffered the loss as he surrendered five runs (two earned) on seven hits in 6.1 innings.

The Tigers and Mustangs will play the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday, Apr. 2 at 1 p.m.