CSUDH Baseball Falls to UC Davis, 17-10 and 14-5
April 10, 2004

Complete Box Scores
Game 1       Game 2

Carson, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills suffered its second-consecutive sweep in as many days at the hands of UC Davis, dropping a 17-10 decision in the first game before falling 14-5 in the nightcap.

With the two losses, CSUDH falls to 10-42, 5-27 CCAA, while UCD improves to 30-8, 25-3 CCAA.

Game one saw the visiting Aggies take a 8-3 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning off CSUDH starter Gus Hernandez (Lynwood, CA/Lynwood HS). The Toros, however, would answer with five runs of their own off UCD starter Travis Bearden, touching him for five hits and capitalizing on an Aggie error and knocking him from the game in that inning. In that frame, the first four Toros reached base on a walk and three-consecutive singles, and after a Fernando Hernandez (South Gate, CA/South Gate HS) sacrifice fly, a Houston Hernandez (La Mirada, CA/St. Paul HS) base hit, an Efren Esparza (Compton, CA/Dominguez HS) walk, a Zac Cort (El Cerrito, CA/El Cerrito HS) fielder's choice would bring home the final runs, knotting the game at 8-8.

UCD would respond in its next at-bat, scoring five runs to put the game away. Robby Tulk provided the big blow, banging a bases-loaded single to center field to drive home two runs. The Aggies would use a Toro error to score two unearned runs in the frame, taking a comfortable 13-8 lead. After Ian Corso (Thousand Oaks, CA/Thousand Oaks HS) belted a two-run home run in the Toros' seventh-inning at-bat to again narrow the deficit, his fourth of the season, UC Davis would add on four runs in the final two innings to take the 17-10 win.

Corso led the Toro charge in game one, banging three hits and driving in three RBI, while F. Hernandez chipped in with two hits.

Toro starter G. Hernandez threw 5.1 innings, allowing six earned runs and 13 hits to take the loss (1-5).

UCD's Tulk swung the game's hot bat, roping 5 hits in 6 at-bats, scoring three runs and driving in three for good measure. Tyler LaTorre and Matt Blankenheim also added three hits, including a home run for each, while UCD starter Bearden hurled 5.1 innings of work in earning the victory (3-0). Nik Aurora threw 3.1 innings in relief for his second save of the year.

The nightcap saw the Aggies turn a slim 3-2 third-inning lead into a blowout by scoring 11 runs in the inning against three Toro pitchers, sending 15 men to the plate. Tulk's 2RBI single, Andy Reisinger's 2RBI double and Kyle Irving's two-run home run would account for the big blows as the Toros committed three errors in the frame, helping the Aggies score eight unearned runs to take a 14-3 lead.

The Toros would tack on two runs in their final at-bat but UCD's Joel Needham, the Aggies' fourth pitcher of the game, would fan the final two Toro batters, giving UCD a four-game sweep of the Toros.

CSUDH starter Trevor Renck (Anaheim, CA/Savanna HS) lasted 3.2 innings, allowing five earned runs and eight hits to take the loss (0-6).

Pedro Montero (San Fernando, CA/San Fernando HS) led a trio of Toros with two hits in the game, highlighted by his first long ball of the season, a leadoff home run deep over the center field fence.

For UC Davis, Blankenheim led five Aggies with two hits apiece, driving in a game-high four RBI, three coming on a second-inning home run.

UCD's Dave McKae came in to relieve starter Paul Gonzales and hurled two innings to pick up the win (3-0) for the Aggies.

The Toros travel to Concordia for a nonconference contest on Wednesday, April 14, before hosting Grand Canyon in a four-game CCAA series beginning Friday, April 16, with first pitch set for a 2:30 p.m. start.-