Feb. 22, 2009
SAN DIEGO - Junior right-hander Tyler Lavigne turned in a dominating performance on the mound, tossing a two-hit shutout as San Diego State defeated 11th-ranked University of San Diego, 3-0, Sunday afternoon at USD's Cunningham Stadium. The game was the final contest for both schools in the season-opening MLB Urban Invitational and left each team with a record of 2-1 after the first weekend of the 2009 campaign.
Lavigne's performance was nothing short of masterful as he allowed only four balls to be hit out of the infield with only one of those falling for a base hit. He began the contest by retiring the first nine batters he faced before giving up a infield single to Kevin Muno to start the fourth. The base runner was short-lived, however, as a double play and strikeout ended the inning.
On the day, Lavigne got 18 outs via the ground ball while striking out five and walking only one. The Toreros had only one runner reach third base, that coming in the fifth when a pair of infield errors put men on first and third with one out. Lavigne responded by inducing Torero left fielder Austin Green to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
The Aztecs opened the scoring in the top of third when second baseman Mitch Blackburn led off with a triple to right field that just eluded the outstretched glove of James Meador. After Brandon Meredith was hit by pitch, T.J. Thomas grounded into a double play that allowed Blackburn to come home.
San Diego State doubled its lead in the next frame on a two-out double down the left field line by shortstop Ryan O'Sullivan and an RBI single by third baseman Easton Gust. Both of SDSU's first two runs came off Torero starter Chris Jensen, who took the loss to fall to 0-1.
SDSU added a third run in the sixth as it opened the inning with back-to-back singles by Cory Vaughn and pinch hitter Jomel Torres. A sac bunt by O'Sullivan moved both runners up a base before Gust delivered a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Vaughn.
Torres, a freshman from nearby Eastlake High School who made his debut as a pinch runner on Saturday, had a pair of hits in two plate appearances off the bench while Gust accounted for two of SDSU's RBI on the day.
San Diego State will now prepare for its home opener against fifth-ranked Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 6:00 p.m. (PST) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.