April 15, 2006

 Box Score

Game1    Game2

Carson, CA - Cody Puckett (Apple Valley, CA/Hesperia HS) powered the Toros in the opener as he blasted a three run home run to lead the offense to an 8-2 CCAA baseball win on Toro Field. But the offensive momentum did not carry over to the nightcap as the Coyotes feasted on Toro pitching to come away with the 9-2 win, despite a 4-for-4 performance by Jason Klug (Moreno Valley, CA/San Bernardino Valley College) which extended his hitting streak to 21 games.

In the opener, the Coyotes got things going in the top of the 2nd, first on a solo shot by Patrick Walker to left field followed by an RBI single up the middle by Jake Puckett three batters later to gain the early 2-0 lead.

CSUDH's Puckett would respond in bottom half of the inning, taking a 1-0 fast ball from Coyote starter Douglas Brandt and lacing it over the fence in left field for his first collegiate home run, putting the Toros up 3-2.

Toro starter Ryan Owen (Riverside, CA/West Torrance HS) would settle down after a rough 2nd inning, facing the minimum over the next four innings and just four batters in the final three frames, without allowing a single CSUSB runner to advance past second base.

CSUDH would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the 3rd, courtesy of the long ball. After a double by Isidro Perez (South Gate, CA/LA Harbor College) down the right field line, Mateo Marquez (Biggs, CA/Cal State L.A.) would hit his fourth home run of the year to dead center field, extending the Toro lead to 5-2. Kyle Stanley (Buena Park, CA/Hawaii Pacific) would lead off the Toro half of the 5th with a double to right, and Klug would follow with an RBI double for a four-run cushion. The Toros put the finishing touches on the game in the bottom of the 6th, using RBI doubles by Houston Hernandez (La Mirada, CA/St. Paul HS) and Klug to add two more runs and increase the lead to 8-2.

Brandt would receive the loss for the 'Yotes, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in just 5.2 innings, while Walker would be 2-for-4 with an RBI for the CSUSB offense. Kevan Kelley would have two hits and J. Puckett one in the losing effort.

Owen would toss 9.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits while recording three strikeouts for his fourth win of the season, and first complete game.

In addition to Puckett's three RBIs, Fred Medina (Santa Ana, CA/Century HS) contributed three hits in the game, while Klug and Marquez would each have two hits and two RBIs.

In the nightcap the Toros would get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the 1st, using a Klug single to score Hernandez, who singled two batters earlier off Coyotes starter Matt Long. After the quick strike, however, the Toro offense would be shut down by Long, only getting a runner to third base once over the next five innings.

After the Coyotes knotted the game at 1-1 in the 3rd, CSUSB would score three runs in the 4th, one in the 5th and three more in the 6th to push its lead to 9-1.

The Toros would take advantage of a defensive error in the bottom of the 9th to add a single run, but it would be too little too late.

Long would pick up his third win of the year, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing one run on eight hits, while Walker and Ermert would each have three hits apiece and Rego Nieto two in the 'Yotes win.

For the Toros, Hopps would receive the loss, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits, while Klug would enjoy a stellar 4-for-4 performance with 2 RBI, and was bolstered by Puckett's 2-for-3 performance in the loss.

In the battle of the brothers Puckett, CSUDH's Cody Puckett would best his older brother, going 4-for-7 with three RBIs on the day to Jake's 2-for-6 with two RBIs.

The Toros return to action Monday, April 17, traveling to San Bernardino, CA to make-up yesterday's game that was rained out, with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 pm. CSUDH then returns home on Thursday, April 20, to take on UC San Diego, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Toro Field.