May 1, 2009
Box Score
Riverside, Calif. - Calling upon its entire lineup in the bottom of the ninth, the Pacific baseball team rallied back from a 5-2 deficit to give seven runs of support in the complete game effort from starting pitcher LHP Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.), as the Tigers toppled UC Riverside 9-5 on Friday, May 1. This marks the fourth time this season that Pacific has rallied from behind to win in the ninth inning.
With the win, Pacific improved to 18-22 on the season and 8-8 in the Big West Conference, while UC Riverside fell to 25-14 on the year and 5-8 in conference.
In the eighth and ninth innings, the Tigers came charging and threatened with the tying run at home plate as they trailed 5-2. Sophomore Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) became the first runner in the top of the ninth when he laced a one-out single to start things off in the Tigers' game-changing inning. Centanni followed Longmire's lead as he was hit by a pitch and trotted down to first base. That allowed Longmire to move into scoring position at second base.
Representing the tying run, sophomore J.B. Brown (Alvin, Texas) sparked another one-out single of his own well past the infield that drew Longmire in while the Tigers trailed 5-3. Down by two with runners at first and second, senior Mike McKeever (San Diego, Calif.) launched a long fly ball to left field, which UC Riverside's Michael Hur could not track down. McKeever's hit loaded the bases as the Tigers kept looming with runners on. Head coach Ed Sprague entered junior Matt Fuson (Lodi, Calif.) as a baserunner to take over for McKeever.
Pacific had the bases loaded and one out, as sophomore Brian Martin singled and recorded the two game-tying RBI, scoring Centanni and Brown to tie the game at 5-5.
With Fuson at third and Martin at first, the Tigers called for a squeeze with one out and senior Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) at the plate. However, UC Riverside's infield saw the play transpiring and came home with the ball to throw out Fuson at home for a fielder's choice. The Tigers then had two down and runners at first and third and the game tied at five.
On what should have been a single into right from junior Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) in the following at bat, the relay from right fielder Tony Nix went wild home as no one covered the plate, and eventually wound up in the Tigers' dugout. On the hit, Martin and Wideman were already coming home, but Walker had rounded second during the error. As the ball went into the dugout, Walker was awarded two bases, essentially clearing the bases as Pacific broke open the lead at 8-5.
Freshman Josh Simms (La Mesa, Calif.) then continued the signature ninth-inning rally when he drew a walk to get him on first. Pacific then sent its ninth batter of the inning to the plate in junior Ben Gorang (Turlock, Calif.). Gorang doubled to score the final run of the inning, as Simms scored from third to give the Tigers a 9-5 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.
Entering the bottom of the ninth, Centanni had retired nine batters in a row on defense after allowing the first five runs to score in the first and third innings. He began the ninth inning with a strikeout of Trevor Hairgrove. Centanni then caused Carl Uhl to ground out to Pacific's shortstop, Gorang with one out remaining to finish off the Highlanders. Centanni then caught Brian McConkey on strikes to earn his second complete game of the season.
Starting off the game with one out in the top of the first inning, Centanni sparked a single up the middle to begin Pacific's offensive production. With two outs in the first inning, Pacific put up the first run in the contest on McKeever's ninth double of 2009 that allowed Centanni to display his speed as he came around to score from first, 1-0.
The Tigers' lead was short-lived, however, as UC Riverside put up three runs against Centanni's pitching in the first to take a 3-1 lead, and then added some more insurance runs when they scored two more in the third to go ahead 5-1.
Trailing the Highlanders 5-1 in the top of the fifth, the Tigers tried to come up with something offensively. Simms led off the inning with a walk to start things off for Pacific. He advanced to second and in scoring position, when Gorang grounded out to first in the next at-bat. Like Simms, Centanni also drew a five-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with only one out.
As Pacific runners loomed in the basepaths, UC Riverside was forced into a meeting on the mound. But in spite of the Highlanders' worries, sophomore J.B. Brown smashed a one-out single up the middle, after he fell behind 0-2 in the count. Brown's hit scored Simms from second, cutting the Tigers' deficit 5-2.
Centanni earned the win after tossing a complete game, while only allowing four earned runs in the first three innings. He finished the gave retiring the final 12 batters in the Highlanders' lineup. Centanni emerged from the game with a team-leading four wins, as he is now 4-4 on the season. The southpaw has now pitched 20.1 innings over the last three games, without giving up a walk to the opposition.
Pacific and UC Riverside will return to action on Saturday, May 2, for the second day of this three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 5:55 p.m. in Riverside, Calif.
