Toros Win Slugfest Against Azusa Pacific, 17-13
Don Bracken belts two home runs and Joe Gevas drives in six runs in non-conference win
March 18, 2003

Complete Box Score

Joe Gevas drove in six runs on three hits including his ninth home run of the season.

CARSON, Calif.--Cal State Dominguez Hills won a classic slugfest over visiting Azusa Pacific University, 17-13, Tuesday in non-conference baseball action at Toro Field. The Toros pounded out a season-high 22 hits on the day and stopped a three-game slide.

Toro starter Ramon Mata spotted the Cougars four runs in the first inning on Ryan Marcos' fifth home run of the year, a solo blast, and run-scoring singles by LF Mark Streelman and C Joe Billheimer.

But the Toros took the lead, 5-4, sending nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the first. 2B David Keesee got the team on the board with an RBI double followed by a two-run single by LF Joe Gevas. 1B Frank Perez grounded into a double play, with runners on first and third, scoring a run to tie the game. After DH Jarred Lewis hit a two-out single, RF Mike Roux's long double to center field gave the Toros a 5-4 lead.

CSUDH (13-13) tacked on two more runs in the second on another 2-run single by Gevas making it 7-4.

The Toros broke the game open scoring five more runs in the fourth and fifth innings for what seemed to be a comfortable eight-run lead, 12-4. In the fourth, Perez knocked in a run on a single then pinch-hitter Don Bracken belted his first home run of the game, a 3-run shot, over the right field fence for an 11-4 Toro lead.

Cal State Dominguez Hills added a run in the fifth on a leadoff triple by CF Mike Milstead, followed by a sacrifice fly by Keesee making it 12-4.

But Azusa Pacific (10-12) sent 14 batters to the plate and scored eight times in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game, 12-12. Chris Ingstad came on in relief of Troy Doram, who pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in relief of Mata, and was able to get only one out while surrendering six runs on four hits. Billheimer got the scoring started in the inning with an RBI double, followed by an RBI single by 2B Nick Mercado, a run-scoring groundout from Marcos and RBI doubles off the bats of 1B Billy Gwinn and CF Matt Dzama.

The Toros answered right back in the bottom of the sixth pushing across five runs on five hits to take the lead for good this time, 17-12. The inning was highlighted by Gevas' team-leading ninth home run of the season, a 2-run monster shot over right-center field and Bracken's second home run of the game, a solo blast to right field.

APU scored a run in the ninth on a single by Gwinn and had two runners on with one out, but Chris Abbott struck out the final two Cougar batters to end the game.

Ruben Salazar had a career-high five-for-five effort at the plate against the Cougars.

In all, CSUDH sent eight pitchers to the mound. Freshman Fred Medina (1-0) earned his first collegiate win in relief tossing one-third of an inning while facing only two batters. Azusa Pacific's Derek Wright (0-1), one of six Cougar hurlers, suffered the loss allowing five runs on five hits in one inning.

All of the Toro starters, except one, got at least one hit. The offense was led by Gevas who was 3-for-6 with six RBI and Bracken drove in four runs on two hits, both homers. Keesee added three runs driven in going 1-for-3 while Ruben Salazar had a career-high 5-for-5 day at the plate with two doubles and three singles.

Azusa was led at the plate by Streelman and Gwinn who each drove in three runs. Marcos finished the day 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI while Dzama and Billheimer each had two hits.

The Toros are back in CCAA action this week travelling to Turlock, CA for a four-game series at Cal State Stanislaus beginning on Friday at 2:30 p.m.