Toros Bats Explode in Home Season Finale as CSUDH Baseball Routs CSUSB 17-6
Senior Houston Hernandez becomes Toros All-Time doubles leader
May 4, 2007

Complete Box Score

Carson, CA - Sophomore Cody Puckett (Apple Valley, CA/Hesperia HS) recorded four hits on the day including his team-leading 10th homerun of the season and senior Houston Hernandez (La Mirada, CA/St. Paul HS) became the Toros all-time doubles leader with a two-bagger in the top of the 7th as CSUDH routed Cal State San Bernardino 17-6 in game two of the four-game set. With win victory the Toros improve to 15-33-1, 11-22 CCAA while CSUSB falls to 27-22, 18-16 CCAA.

Riding the high of yesterday’s walk-off bomb, Mateo Marquez (Biggs, CA/Cal State L.A.) led off the game with his CCAA leading fifth triple of the season and was brought home on a ground out by Hernandez.

With a runner on first in the bottom of the 2nd, lefty Scott Moore (Upland, CA/Cal State L.A.) took advantage of the strong winds blowing to right and hit a deep shot over the right field fence for his second homerun of the season.

Up 4-0 in the bottom of the 3rd, the Toro bats exploded for nine runs on six hits, with Puckett and Dustin Hicks (Lake Forest, CA/Crichton College) hitting back-to-back bombs for their 10th and 3rd homeruns on the season, respectively.

After a high fly ball got lost in the sun and the wind resulting in a lead-off triple for Brad Croxton in the top of the 4th, Justin Watson drove a 2-2 pitch to left to break-up the shutout, and Nick Hammer followed with a triple of his own to bring in the Coyotes’ second run of the game.

The Coyotes tacked on three more runs in their next at bat, with two of them coming on a two-run homerun to dead center field by Croxton.

CSUSB added a single run in top of the 7th, which the Toros countered with four of their own in the bottom of the inning.

During the four-run 7th, Hernandez led off the inning by lacing a ball down the left field line for his 48th career double, breaking the Toros’ all-time record previously held by former All-American and CCAA MVP Joe Gevas.

After hitting a double in the top of the 7th, Croxton led off the top of the 9th with a single to center to complete the cycle, but it was much too little too late as the Toros cruised to the easy win.

Southpaw starter David Leyva (Los Angeles, CA/Junipero Serra HS) picked up with fourth win of the season, tossing six innings and striking out six batters, while reliever Rudy Rojas (Lynwood, CA/Cerritos JC) struck out four batters in three innings to pick up his first save of the year.

Puckett led the offense with four hits and three RBIs, while Hernandez and Matt Sannes (Long Beach, CA/El Camino College) each drove in three runs apiece.

Today’s game marked the final home game for 11 seniors in Houston Hernandez, James Dodson, Gus Hernandez, Jerit Coleman, Mateo Marquez, MurphiBennett Kennedy, Dustin Hicks, Michael Craig, Kyle Schneider, Scott Moore, and Buddy McNeill. Tomorrow, they will conclude their CSUDH baseball careers when the series shifts to San Bernardino for a twinbill, with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 am.