April 29, 2008

Box Score

Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific baseball team rallied to defeat USF 10-6 in a non-conference game on Tuesday, April 29. Pacific improves to 9-31, while the Dons fell to 25-20 on the year. The victory snapped a nine-game losing streak for the Tigers.

The Dons got on the scoreboard first, getting an RBI double from Kyle Morgan in the top of the first inning. The hard hit ball was just off the glove of a diving Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) and getting down the left field line. USF added two runs in the second on a two-run single by Tavo Hall. The Dons scored twice more in the third inning on an RBI triple by Stephen Yarrow and an RBI single by Ryan Lipkin to make the score 5-0.

In the third inning, Tiger catcher Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) threw out Lipkin trying to steal second, then led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to right-center field to cut the lead to 5-1. Pacific continued the comeback in the fourth inning, scoring four times to even the score at 5-5. The Tigers scored on an RBI double by freshman Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.). Walker scored on a wild pitch, then Martin came around on an RBI ground out by Wideman. The score was evened up on a wild pitch by Brian Anderson combined with an errant throw by Lipkin to allow J.B. Brown (Houston, Texas) to reach first after striking out and junior Mike McKeever (San Diego, Calif.) to score Pacific's fifth run.

The Tigers scored four more times in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 9-5 lead, with just two hits in the inning. Pacific scored runs on an error, two wild pitches and on a single by freshman Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.). Martin added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth to give the Tigers a 10-5 advantage.

Tiger starting pitcher Tyler Waldron (Pilot Hill, Calif.) gave up four earned runs in three innings of work. Junior Cole Akins (Seattle, Wash.) pitched a scoreless fourth inning for the Tigers. Junior Casey Neimeyer (Woodland, Calif.) came on to pitch four innings of scoreless relief to pick up the victory for the Tigers (1-1). It was the longest outing of Neimeyer's career. Things got scary in the ninth for the Tigers, as sophomore David Rowse (Pleasanton, Calif.) gave up a run in the ninth and loaded the bases. Freshman Thomas Berolzheimer (Stockton, Calif.) then shut the door, getting a pop out and a ground out to end the game and pick up his second save. Anderson (1-3) took the loss for USF, allowing five runs though just one was earned.

Martin was 2-for-4 for the Tigers, adding two RBIs, while Wideman added a couple of RBIs and scored a pair of runs. Senior Adam Ching (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) was 2-for-3, with a couple of runs scored and a stolen base.

The Tigers are next in action with a home game against UC Riverside on Friday, May 2. Game time is 6:00 p.m. at Klein Family Field.