Montes' Home Run in Ninth Wins It for Toros Against Hawaii Pacific
Jose Montes hits walk-off homer to give CSUDH win in 16-15 slugfest
April 8, 2002

Complete Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif.-Jose Montes hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give Cal State Dominguez Hills a 16-15 victory over Hawaii Pacific University today at Dennis Gilbert Field on the campus of LA Southwest College.

It appeared early that the Toros would cruise to the non-conference win after plating 10 runs in the first inning. However, the Sea Warriors chipped away and pushed across 5 runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game. That's when Montes stepped to the plate and with two outs hit a blast over the right field wall for the game-winning run.

In the first, CSUDH (25-18-1) sent 14 batters to the plate scoring 10 runs. The inning was highlighted by 1B Tony Marquez's 4 RBI in the inning on a 2-run single and a two-run double. CF Mike Milstead had a 2-run single while C Frankie Valle and Jose Montes also had RBI doubles in the inning.

Hawaii Pacific (18-24) made it 10-3 in the second on a 2-run home run by DH Travis Covey and a sacrifice fly by RF Andrew Stith. The Sea Warriors would trim the lead to 10-5 in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Stith followed by an RBI fielder's choice by CF T.C. Everett.

The Toros made it 13-5 in the fourth with 3 runs on back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles by 2B Nate Hadaway, LF Mike Roux and SS David Keesee. HPU second baseman Wade Taguchi answered back in the fifth with his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to center field making it 13-6.

But CSUDH plated single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on an RBI double by 3B Damien Lopez and a run-scoring triple by Mike Milstead to give the Toros a 15-6 cushion. However, HPU scored 2 runs in the seventh and eight on an RBI double by Covey and a RBI triple by SS Derek Little along with two sacrifice flies making it 15-10.

The Sea Warriors would tie the game with 5 runs in the top of the ninth on a 2-run error by Toros shortstop Jesus Hernandez a fielder's choice and consecutive RBI singles by Little and Taguchi to knot the game at 15-15.

That set up Montes' heroics in the bottom of the stanza giving the Toros a dramatic 16-15 win. Tony Marquez led the team with 4 RBI going 2-5 at the plate while Frankie Valle led the squad with 3 hits. Six other players had two hits in the Toros 19-hit assault. Brian Cortes (1-0) earned his first win of the season in relief going 1 inning allowing 3 unearned runs on 2 hits.

RHP Brandon Kahale (4-1) suffered the loss going the final 2-2/3 innings allowing only 1 run on 2 hits. Wade Taguchi led Hawaii Pacific going 3-5 at the plate with 3 RBI. Travis Covey finished 2-4 with 3 RBI.

The Toros and Sea Warriors close out this 3-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at noon.