Feb. 23, 2008

Box Score

Houston, Texas - Four scoreless innings of relief by sophomore Hunter Carnevale (Roseville, Calif.) and three RBI from senior Adam Ching (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) lifted the Pacific baseball team to a 4-3 win over Houston on Saturday, Feb. 23.

The victory evened the Tigers record at 1-1 on the season, while Houston fell to 1-1.

Pacific jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top half of the third inning a walk and three hits. Sophomore Matt Fuson (Lodi, Calif.) led off the third by drawing a walk. Junior Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) used the opening on the right side as Houston pinched their middle infielders to bounce a single into right field and send Fuson to third. Ching followed with a two-run double into left-center field, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. The next batter, sophomore Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) drilled a single into left-center to boost the lead to 3-0.

Houston came right back in the bottom half of the third with three runs on three hits and a walk of their own. Ryan Lormand got the Cougars rally started with a two-out solo home run. A walk to Chase Dempsay and a single by Jake Stewart but runners on first and second. Matt Murphy followed with a two-run double into left field to tie the score at 3-3.

The game remained 3-3 into the seventh inning, when the Tigers reclaimed the lead with a familiar scene. In the seventh, Fuson drew a one-out walk, then advanced to second on a ground out from Oliveira. Ching then plated Fuson with a single into center, giving the Tigers a 4-3 lead.

When Pacific starter, freshman Tyler Waldron (Pilot Hill, Calif.), gave way to Carnevale in the fifth inning and the sophomore dominated the Cougars, giving Pacific's offense time to push across the winning run. Carnevale allowed just two hits in four innings of relief work to earn his first victory (1-0) of the season.

Junior Larry Holscher (McArthur, Calif.) tossed a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his first save as a Tiger.

Houston's Jimmy Raviele (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing one run on one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings of relief.

Ching finished the game 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI to lead the Tigers offense.

The Tigers and Cougars play the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. (PT). Sophomore David Rowse (Pleasanton, Calif.) gets the start for Pacific.