April 25, 2010

Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Behind a 21-hit performance and a dominating pitching performance from AJ Griffin, the University of San Diego baseball team completed a three-game sweep over Gonzaga University with a 17-7 win Sunday afternoon at USD's Cunningham Stadium.

With the win, the Toreros improve to 23-15 overall, remain perfect in the WCC at 9-0, marking the best start in conference play in program history, and run their winning streak to six. With the loss, the Zags fall to 13-27-1 overall and 2-6-1 in the WCC.

James Meador led the Torero hit parade as he went 3-for-4 with a double a home run and five RBI. On Meador's last at bat, he launched a three-run homer over the left field fence, and with that hit, Meador has now moved into a tie for 10th all-time at USD in career hits with 227. Both Bryan Haar and Chris Engell also had three-hit performances as they went 3-for-5 with one RBI each, with Haar recording a double and a home run. All but one Torero that was sent to the plate recorded at least one hit.

Griffin (4-3) picked up the win on the mound after turning in his most dominating performance of the season. Griffin allowed a pair of runs in the first inning, then settled down and mowed down the Bulldog hitters, as he retired 11 of his next 12 batters, seven via the strikeout. For the game, Griffin allowed four runs on five hits, while striking out 11. Gonzaga's Liam Baron (0-5) was saddled with the loss for the Zags as he allowed nine runs, eight earned, on 13 hits in 5.0 innings of work.

After GU got a pair of runs in the first inning, the Toreros continued its third inning magic, as they scored five runs on seven hits to take control of the game. Haar led off the inning with a solo home run off the first offering from Baron to cut the lead in half. Chris Engell kept things rolling with a one-out single, and he moved to third on Meador's double down the left field line. Tony Strazzara then drove in the next two runs on a single through the right side. Austin Green moved Strazzara to second with a single up the middle and Nick McCoy brought in Strazzara and Engell with a two-run double to give USD a 5-2 lead.

San Diego would tack on two more runs in the fifth before putting the game completely out of reach in the sixth with seven runs on six hits. The Torero runs came on fielder's choice, a Meador two-run single, a Mike Ferraro RBI single, a Zach Walters RBI single, and a two-run double by Zack Kometani to put USD in front 14-2.

USD would tack on three runs on a Meador three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, and GU scored four runs in the top of the eighth to put the game at its final of 17-7.

San Diego will return to action on Tuesday when they host No. 16 Cal State Fullerton inside the friendly confines of Cunningham Stadium at 3 p.m.