Toros Win Baseball Season Opener Against Vanguard in Ninth, 7-6
Chris Lusic hits walk-off single with bases loaded to win it for CSUDH
February 1, 2005

CARSON, Calif.--(February 1, 2005)--Chris Lusic (RPV/San Pedro HS) hit a bases loaded single off the wall in right field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give Cal State Dominguez Hills a 7-6 win over Vanguard University in the 2005 season opener for both team's Tuesday afternoon at Toro Field.

Vanguard reliever Robert Klein (0-1) walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, one of them intentional, to set up Lusic's heroics. This coming after the Lions tied the game in the top of the ninth, 6-6, scoring three runs on four hits and an error. Klein took the loss tossing 1-1/3 innings allowing a run on two hits and walking four batters.

CSUDH (1-0) jumped out early with three runs in the first on RBI hits from Isidro Perez, Ian Corso and Matt Hopps (Torrance/South HS). The Toros made it 4-0 in the fourth after an RBI double by second baseman Houston Hernandez.

Vanguard (0-1) got on the board in the fifth after a solo homerun to right field by Luke Iverson, his first of the year. But Hopps responded in the bottom of the frame for the Toros with a monster blast of his own to deep right centerfield, a two-run shot, to put CSUDH up 6-1 after five innings.

The Lions put up two runs in the sixth off of Hopps, who came in to pitch the sixth and seventh innings allowing two runs while striking out three, to make it 6-3. In that inning, VU got runs on an RBI groundout from Matt Voorhies and an RBI single off the bat of Mike Grant.

Hopps pitched a scoreless seventh and Elmer Rivas came on to toss a scoreless eighth for the Toros. Jose Montes, who had started the game in leftfield for CSUDH, came to the mound in the ninth to close it out. However, the senior gave up the tying runs to lose the save opportunity after allowing three runs, one of them unearned, on four hits and an error. The Lions could have taken the lead, but Joe Candelaria was thrown out at the plate to end the inning trying to score from first base after a single down the line by Nick Crouch.

Montes (1-0) picked up the win for the Toros after pitching the ninth. Ryan Owen (Riverside/W. Torrance HS) started the game for CSUDH going just the first scoreless inning. Chris Borchers (Torrance/LA Harbor JC) pitched a scoreless second and third before giving way to Gus Hernandez (Lynwood/Lynwood HS) who tossed the fourth and fifth allowing one run.

Hopps led the Toros at the plate with two hits and three RBI. Corso also collected two of the teams ten hits in the game.

Aaron Barret led the Lions with three hits while Grant added two. Michael Guernsey started the game on the mound and went the first five innings allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out five batters. Todd Merz pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Cal State Dominguez Hills opens up league play this weekend hosting Cal State San Bernardino in a three-game series beginning with a single game on Friday. First pitch is slated for 2 PM.

Vanguard Univ.  0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 - 6 10 3 
CSUDH           3 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 - 7 10 1

WP - Jose MONTES (1-0), LP - Robert KLEIN (0-1)