March 8, 2009
Box Score
Sam Jose, Calif. - Rounding out the final contest of a three-game series, the Pacific baseball team suffered a 6-3 loss at San Jose State's Municipal Stadium on Sunday, March 8.
With the loss, Pacific dropped to 3-7 on the year, as San Jose State continued its hot start in 2009 with a perfect 9-0 record.
Despite a three-run hiccup in the bottom of the first inning for Pacific's starter junior RHP Hunter Carnevale (Roseville, Calif.), Carnevale was able to recompose and hold the Spartans scoreless with only one hit through three innings.
Behind their pitcher, Pacific tried to rally past the early 3-0 deficit in the top of the third inning. Freshman left fielder Ronnie Burton Jr. (Colorado Springs, Colo.) drew a five-ptich walk to lead off the inning. In the following at-bat, while senior DH Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) stood at the plate, Burton put himself in scoring position when he stole second. Oliveira demonstrated the same patience at the plate as Burton and collected the second-straight walk. Freshman center fielder Brett Christopher (Livermore, Calif.) advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt laid perfectly in front of the catcher.
With two runners in scoring position, sophomore second baseman J.B. Brown (Alvin, Texas), who is batting 1.000 with a runner on third and less than two outs, came up in a clutch situation for the Tigers, knocking in both runners with a single up the middle. Brown's (.389, 2-for-4, 1 home run, 3 RBI) drive put the Tigers within striking distance as they trailed 3-2 at that point. Brown, however, rounded first on the play and the throw to home was cut off and fired back to first to tag him out for the second put-out of the inning. Junior Mike Walker (Marusville, Calif.) (.316 average, 1-for-3) then closed out the inning, when he grounded out to first base.
Carnevale went 1.2 more innings from the mound, before allowing one more run to score in the bottom of the fifth, after the second baseman Karson Klauer scored from second on a single from shortstop Kyle Bellows. Klauer put himself in scoring position when he doubled to open the bottom half of the inning. Carnevale gave up four earned runs on seven hits in his start.
Entering the top of the sixth inning, Pacific put up another run on the board to bring the score to 4-3 in favor of the Spartans. Senior center fielder Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.) came in to pinch hit for Christopher, but he quickly flied out to left field to start the inning. With one out, Brown launched a solo home run over the right field wall. However, that was all Pacific could accumulate, when Walker and sophomore Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.) (.310 average, 2-for-4) were retired in order to end the inning.
San Jose State padded its lead with two more insurance runs off of senior reliever Mark McCain (Dallas, Texas) (1-0, 4.50 ERA) in the bottom of the seventh.
Carnevale took the loss for the Tigers, as he fell to 0-2 on the year with a 7.90 ERA. RHP Scott Sobczak earned San Jose State's win with only two earned runs in five innings of work. He improved to 2-0 on the year with a 2.70 ERA. The Spartans' closer RHP Anthony Vega earned his fifth save of the year for San Jose State when he came in to close out the game in the ninth inning.
The Tigers next return to action on the road, when Pacific heads to Sacramento State on Wednesday, March 13. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. in Sacramento, Calif.
