April 5, 2011

Box Score

STOCKTON, Calif. - Sophomore 2B Tyger Pederson (Palo Alto, Calif.) turned in a five-for-five day at the plate and sophomore 3B Dustin Torchio (Santa Cruz, Calif.) added four hits as the Pacific baseball team knocked off No. 13 California Tuesday afternoon at Evans Diamond.

Pederson singled five times, driving in two runs while scoring once and stealing a base to create havoc at the top of the lineup. Torchio picked up four singles, driving in a run with a stolen base while scoring three times.

Senior 1B Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.), senior OF/RHP Matt Carvutto (Poway, Calif.) and freshman C Jason Taasaas (Elk Grove, Calif.) each added an run batted in as the Tigers picked up back-to-back wins for the fourth time this season.

"Offensively, we were able to execute all day, Tyger Pederson had a great game at the top of the order for us to get us going and we were able to do some things offensively," head coach Ed Sprague said. "Tyger seized the opportunity, Torchio did a good job execution wise and we were able to move some runners and our execution was really well done today."

Pacific starter RHP Brent McMinn (Houston, Texas), retired nine of the 12 batters he faced as the sophomore tossing three scoreless innings to earn the victory. The Tigers win came at the expense of Cal RHP Kevin Miller (3-2), who entered the ballgame second in the NCAA in ERA at 0.46. Miller lasted four innings, allowing four runs, one earned, as the Tigers posted six hits off the righty.

"Starting pitching is what gives us momentum," Sprague continued. "Those first four or five innings are critical, and when we can hold teams down and give our offense a chance to start rolling, that makes a big difference. McMinn started the day and did a fantastic job, Wagner held them down, and turned it over to Larsen and at the end, Carvutto."

Tigers jumped ahead 1-0 in the first as Pederson opened the game with a single to right. After freshman SS Curtis Gomez (Watsonville, Calif.) sacrificed him to second, Carvutto delivered a two-out double to right field, his Big West-leading 12th double of the year.

In the fourth, Pacific hung three runs on the Golden Bears, as junior RF Allen Riley (Fresno, Calif.) walked and junior CF Brett Christopher (Livermore, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice. After a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, Torchio poked a single to left center for a 2-0 Pacific lead. Taasass followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Christopher, and after Torchio stole second base, Pederson added a single to center for a 4-0 Tigers advantage.

Torchio's fourth hit was a one-out single in the sixth, and after Taasaas reached on an error, Pederson ripped a single to right off LHP Louie Lechich. Pinch hitter Josh Simms (La Mesa, Calif.) dropped a bunt single past the pitcher, and Martin lined out to centerfield for a sacrifice fly allowing Taasaas to trot home.

Junior RHP Jared Wagner (Danville, Calif.) entered with one out in the bottom of the fourth, and left two runners stranded. He pitched through the sixth, allowing three hits while striking out two and not allowing a run.

Cal answered in the seventh, as LF Vince Bruno walked and SS Marcus Semien doubled to left. Bruno scored on an RBI groundout from 2B Tony Renda, and cleanup man C Chadd Krist doubled to center field to plate Semien and cut the Tigers lead to 6-2.

Pacific answered with a run in the eighth, with Torchio's fourth single opening the frame. After Taasass sacrificed Torchio to second, Pederson added his fifth base hit, and Simms followed with an RBI single, chasing Lechich. After RHP Logan Scott hit Carvutto with his first pitch, he avoided further damage by posting a strikeout to end the inning with the bases loaded.

The Bears, ranked 13th in the latest Baseball America Top 25, picked up two runs in the eighth, as CF Darrel Matthews and PH Michael Theofanopoulos posted back-to-back singles and DH Austin Booker doubled them home. The Tigers gunned down Booker at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple, and RHP Chris Larsen retired Semien on a comebacker and coaxed a ground ball fielder's choice to get out of the inning.

Carvutto mowed down the Bears in the ninth, setting down Cal in order on eight pitches for his second save. Cal, which had won 13 of its last 15 entering the game, falls to 19-7 on the year.

Pederson entered the day four-for-18 on the season and the career-high five hits raised his average to .391. Pacific's infield - Torchio, Gomez, Simms, Pederson and Martin - combined to go 11-for-18 with five runs batted in, four runs scored, a sacrifice fly and a pair of stolen bases.

"I tried to stay patient, get a pitch I could handle and hit the ball hard," Pederson said. "The first inning, especially when we're away, it's important to get that first run across and give our pitchers some room to breathe. It makes it easier on everybody. It feels great to get that momentum going. Now we've got a three-game series coming up at Riverside in conference, and that's most important, so hopefully we can keep this rolling."

Pacific (9-16) will continue is five-game road trip at UC Riverside, opening a three-game series on Friday at 6 p.m.