Toros Drop Season-Ending Baseball Doubleheader at Cal State L.A.
May 7, 2005

Courtesy Cal State L.A. Sports Information Office

Complete Box Scores
Game 1        Game 2

LOS ANGELES -- Freshman catcher Henry Contreras homered in the bottom of the eighth in game one and junior southpaw Derrick Loop fanned a career-high 11 batters in a game two complete game shutout as Cal State L.A. wrapped up the 2005 baseball season with a doubleheader sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday at Reeder Field, 9-8 and 9-0.

CSULA ends the season 22-23 overall and fourth place in the CCAA South Division at 17-22 in league play. CSUDH ends the year 23-32 and fifth in the CCAA South at 13-26 in league play.

In game one, Cal State L.A. jumped out with six runs in the second inning, including an opposite field three-run blast by Scott Moore to open the scoring. After Rene Gonzalez continued the rally with a single, Ryan Ruyle reached on an error and Joey Molina was hit by a pitch, setting up Kyle Williams for a bases loaded safety squeeze, one which ended up being a single and giving CSULA a 4-0 edge. Matt Winkelman then lined one off CSUDH pitcher Ryan Owen, which brought home Ruyle and Molina for the 6-0 lead.

CSUDH answered with two runs in the top of the third inning, but the Golden Eagles pushed the lead back to six runs at 8-2 on Winkelman's two-run homer to right field, scoring Ruyle who opened the inning by reaching on an error.

The visiting Toros closed the gap to 8-5 in the top of the fourth as Jose Montes launched one over the right field wall for a three-run homer. CSUDH would tie the game at 8-8 with a three-run eighth inning rally, getting a solo homer from Ian Corso and RBI hits by David Leos and Claudio Gutierrez.

Cal State L.A. wasted little time answering as, after a popup by Gonzales to open the bottom of the eighth, Contreras picked an opportune time to hit his first collegiate homer as he blasted one over the left field wall to give CSULA a 9-8 lead. Philip Springman, who entered in relief to close out the eighth inning, pitched a perfect ninth inning to secure the win for CSULA.

Seven of the nine CSULA starters had at least one hit in game one while eight of those scored at least one run. Winkelman, Moore and Matt Beard each went 2-for-4 offensively for CSULA while Gutierrez was 3-for-4 for CSUDH.

Springman (2-1) earned the win while CSUDH's Dustin Gober (1-4) took the loss despite allowing just the one run and three hits in four innings of relief. Cody Wilkinson scattered 11 hits and eight runs in a 7 2/3 innings no decision for CSULA.

CSULA scored early and often in game two as the Golden Eagles pushed across runs in five of their six innings. Cal State L.A. took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Jacob Ferris opened the frame with a drag bunt down the third base line and scored on a triple to right field by Beard. The Golden Eagles took a 4-0 lead in the third inning as RBIs by Molina, Williams and Ferris increased the CSULA margin.

CSUDH threatened in the fourth inning as the Toros loaded the bases with two outs, but CSULA starter Derrick Loop coaxed a grounder by Houston Hernandez to end the inning and keep CSUDH off the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, CSULA added a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth as Gonzalez's sac fly to left field scored Beard, who opened the inning with a single, for a 5-0 lead. Cal State L.A. added three more runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth for the 9-0 final as the 2005 season came to an end.

Loop (5-8) tossed a complete game seven-hit shutout in the win, fanning a career-high 11 batters in the process. CSUDH's Ryan Owen (4-6) took the loss, allowing eight hits and five runs in four innings.

Ferris went 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs while Beard, in his final game as a Golden Eagle, went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Williams (2-for-3) and Winkelman (2-for-4) also added multiple hits in the game two win.

On the hill, Loop's 11-strikeout effort in the season finale gave him the team's strikeout title with 72 Ks on the year, three ahead of senior teammate Brandon Higelin.