Feb. 26, 2009
Box Score
San Diego, Calif. - In the first game of the University of San Diego Tournament, the Pacific baseball team fell behind to Kansas State early and rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning before losing 7-4 on Thursday, Feb. 26.
With the loss, Pacific dropped to 1-3 on the season while Kansas State moved to 3-1 on the year.
Down 7-1 with five hits entering the ninth inning, Pacific tried to come up with an answer to Kansas State's pitching and started yet another late-inning rally for the third-consecutive game. Off RHP James Allen, the first of two pitchers to appear in that half inning, sophomore second baseman J.B. Brown (Alvin, Texas) (.467 average, 1-for-3) continued to come up big in the clutch and opened the inning with a single through the gap up the middle. With one runner on, senior catcher Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) hit a liner to James that bounced off his shin in the pitchers mound, to short stop Carter Jurica who made the force out at second and retired Brown. The Wildcats could not come up in enough time to get Wideman, who ended up safely at first on a fielder's choice.
With one out and a runner on, junior short stop Ben Gorang (Turlock, Calif.) knocked a one-hopper to third baseman Jason King. King bobbled the ball in his glove and overthrew first base when Gorang (1-for-4) landed safely at first and Wideman advanced to second on the mis-fire and third baseman's error. Pacific's runners at the corner set the table for junior left fielder Jamie Niley (Elk Grove, Calif.) (1-for-2, 2 RBI) who shot off a double into right center and scored the two runners for Pacific to cut the deficit at 7-3.
With Niley in scoring position at second, senior DH Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.) grounded out to short stop and advanced Niley within 90 feet of home plate at third base. As one final out remained in the game, Kansas State had enough of its reliever and brought in LHP Thomas Rooke. Freshman Allen Riley (Fresno, Calif.) pinch hit to face Rooke and reached first on an error when the Wildcats again had trouble fielding the ball at short stop. Kansas State recorded four errors on the afternoon, and this time accounted for a run when Niley scored from third to bring the Tigers closer, trailing 7-4.
Sophomore center fielder Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) (.286 average, 3-for-5) kept the two-out rally alive, launching a deep single to the left field side of the diamond, and moved Riley to second base. Junior third baseman Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) (1-for-5) came to the plate to represent the tying run, but struck out looking. That was the final out Kansas State needed to seal the victory, despite Pacific's late charge.
The Tigers scored their first run of the game in the fifth inning, trailing 7-0 at the time. Centanni reached first on an error for the first of two consecutive times during the game, with two outs on the board. After the second pitch of sophomore Brian Martin's (Livermore, Calif.) (.250 average, 1-for-2, 1 RBI) at-bat, Centanni took off for second with a successful stolen base. Martin then singled up the middle, scoring Centanni from second as an unearned run.
Kansas State's big offensive inning came in the third, when the Wildcats scored three runs. Rob Vaughn lifted a shallow homer to the center field wall, which center fielder Matt Fuson (Lodi, Calif.) collied with the fence to grab. Fuson had the ball in his glove, but dropped it out when his head hit the metal center field fence, allowing two runs to score. He then left the game as freshman Brett Christopher (Livermore, Calif.) came in to take over in center. The Wildcats' first run of the game came earlier in that inning when Adam Muenster scored from second on a single off the bat of Carter Jurica.
Senior RHP Larry Holscher (McArthur, Calif.) (0-1) took the loss when he gave up six hits and five earned runs to start out the game. Kansas State's A.J. Morris (2-0) recorded the win, allowing one unearned run in six innings of work.
Pacific next returns to action against University of San Diego at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, for the second game of the tournament. The Tigers will take to the field as the home team in that contest.
