March 12, 2006
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
SAN DIEGO - The University of San Diego completed a doubleheader sweep of San Diego State with a 10-5 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium Sunday evening. Earlier in the day, the Toreros defeated the Aztecs, 16-1, in a contest played at USD's Cunningham Stadium. Coupled with their win on Friday over SDSU, the Toreros swept his year's three-game series between the schools.
The two wins on Sunday lengthened USD's winning streak to five games as it improved to 12-8 on the year. San Diego State, meanwhile, extended its current losing streak to five games as it saw its record drop to 6-14.
Sunday evening's game saw the Toreros jump out to a 3-0 lead with a run in the second and two in the fifth, only to see SDSU tie it in the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back one-out singles by Tim O'Brien and Curt Mendoza were followed by a two-RBI double off the bat of Quintin Berry into the left center field gap. Berry then came home when Lance Zawadzki lifted another double to the same spot.
The Aztecs could not take advantage of the momentum, however, as USD went ahead 4-3 in the top of the next inning off reliever Justin Lynch, who took the loss to fall to 1-2. The visitors put the game away with four more in the seventh, all off freshman right-hander Mark Triolo.
The Toreros stretched their lead to 10-3 before SDSU got a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out two-run double by Nick Romero. But it was too little too late as USD held on for the 10-5 win. Torero starter Matt Couch, who tossed the first five innings, picked up the win to improve to 3-0.
Third baseman Tim O'Brien had three hits including a double while teammates Berry and Zawadzki had two hits apiece.
In the early game, it was all USD as the Toreros batted around in three consecutive innings, scoring a total of 11 runs over the fifth through seventh innings, to erase any doubt about the outcome. The big blows were a three-run homer by USD catcher Jordan Abruzzo in the sixth and a grand slam by second baseman Keoni Ruth in the seventh.
SDSU sophomore Mike Koons (2-3) went 4.1 innings, allowing nine runs, only four of which were earned, as the Aztecs committed four errors in the contest.
USD starter Josh Butler (4-2) kept the Aztec offense in check as he scattered four hits over his seven innings of work while striking out eight.
San Diego State recorded just five hits during the contest, two of those by designated hitter Joey Huskins. The Aztecs only avoided the shutout with a consolation run in the ninth that was the result of a bases-loaded wild pitch.
SDSU will now have a short turnaround as it will play five games on the road in six days beginning Tuesday (March 14) when it starts a two-game series at Oklahoma State with a contest at 6:35 p.m. (CST). Following games at OSU on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Aztecs will begin a three-game series at UCLA on Friday (March 17).
GAME 1San Diego 16, San Diego State 1SDS 000 000 001 - 1 5 4USD 040 143 40x - 16 18 1Koons, Suwyn (5), Coon (6), Nolte (8) and Swaydan, Anderson (7)Butler, DeNault (8), Roniger (9) and AbruzzoW - Butler (4-2)L - Koons (2-3)Sv - NoneHR - USD: Abruzzo (2) - 6th-two on USD: Ruth (1) - 7th-threeonAtt. - 250Time - 2:48
GAME 2USD 001 021 420 - 10 13 0SDS 000 030 020 - 5 11 1Couch, Pecina (6), Salma (8), Romanski (9) and GelbrichMiller, Lynch (6), Triolo (7), Douglas (8), Simon (9) and SwaydanW - Couch (3-0)L - Lynch (1-2)Sv - noneHR - noneAtt. - 448Time - 3:12