March 4, 2006

Box Score

Game1    Game2

Carson, CA – A strong outing from Toros starter Jason Garcia (South Gate/LA Harbor College limited the high-powered Warrior offense to just four runs in game one, but those runs were enough as visiting Cal State Stanislaus held on for a 4-2 victory in the opener Saturday on Toro Field. In the nightcap, however, the Toro offense came alive, scoring 10 runs on 11 hits to pick up the 10-7 win.

With the split, the Toros pick up their first conference win of the 2006 season and improve to 7-11, 1-5 CCAA, while Cal State Stanislaus sees its 11-game win streak snapped, falling to 14-3, 5-1 CCAA.

The Warriors would use a small-ball approach in the 2nd inning by scoring via a suicide squeeze, and a long-ball attack the next inning as R.J. Roach took the first pitch he saw and drove it over the wall in left field to build a 2-0 lead. Garcia, however, would settle and strike out two of the next three batters to end the inning, and allow just two hits over the next four innings.

Warrior starter Justin Kanawyer would be even sharper, allowing five hits over the first seven, and only letting two Toro runners reach third base.

After CSUS added insurance runs in their half of the 8th and 9th innings to extend their lead to 4-0, the Toro bats finally awakened. Isidro Perez (South Gate, CA/LA Harbor College) led off the inning with a bunt single, and was followed by a double to right center by Jason Klug (Moreno Valley, CA/San Bernardino Valley College) moving Perez to third. Mateo Marquez (Biggs, CA/Cal State L.A.) would ruin the Warrior shutout with a single to left, and Dustin Hicks (Lake Forest, CA/Crichton College) would inch the Toros closer with a single to left field to score Klug, cutting the deficit in half at 4-2. However, the charge was too little too late as the Warriors were able to retire the final batter and pick up the win.

Warrior starter Kanawyer would pick up the win in seven innings of work, giving up no runs and striking out four, while Matt Verdegaal received credit for the save.

For CSUS, Chris LeBouef led the attack with two hits while driving in two runs. A.J. Valentine also chipped in a pair of hits.

Toro starter Garcia would be credited with the loss, despite a strong outing from the right-hander, pitching into the 9th inning, giving up four runs while striking out 10 batters.

Offensively for the Toros, Hicks led the way with three hits and one RBI, while Perez chipped in two hits and scored one run.

In the nightcap, the Toros would jump ahead of the Warriors in the 1st inning on an RBI single up the middle by Klug, before scoring six runs in the 3rd, with three courtesy of a Chris Hunter (Vallejo, CA/Vallejo HS) 3-run bomb to left center field to give the Toros a 7-2 cushion.

Toros starter Ryan Owen (Riverside, CA/West Torrance HS) would have more than enough run support, striking out 10 batters through five innings and only allowing two runs on five hits.

The game appeared to be on cruise control for the Toros as they added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to stretch their lead to 10-2.

In the top of the 7th the wheels began to come off as the Warriors would bat around in the inning and push across five runs to cut the eight-run lead to just three at 10-7. However, reliever Gary Scott (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union HS) would enter the game with runners at the corners and one out and strike out the first batter he faced before inducing a ground ball for the final out of the ball game, preserving the Toros' first conference win.

Warrior starter Marquis Fleming would receive the loss, lasting just 2.2 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits.

A.J. Valentine would lead the Warrior offense with a pair of singles and two RBIs, while LeBouef and Roach would also contribute two hits in the nightcap.

Owen would earn the win in tossing 6.l innings of work, giving up all seven Warrior runs while striking out 10 batters.

Hunter would lead the offense with three hits and three RBIs, while Jose Escobar (Palm Springs, CA/Palm Springs HS) added an additional two hits and three RBIs.

The two teams conclude their four-game set with a double-header Sunday morning, with first pitch of game one scheduled for a 11:00 a.m. start on Toro Field