Gevas Clubs 17th and 18th of Year, Toros Split with Hawaii-Pacific
Toros drop early game 10-6 but win nightcap 6-4 behind Gevas' two home runs
April 26, 2003

Complete Box Scores
Game 1      Game 2

Rick Moore earned his tenth career victory today with a 6-4 win over Hawaii-Pacific in the nightcap of Saturday's twinbill.

CARSON, Calif.--A day after breaking a 25-year single season record for home runs, senior outfielder Joe Gevas clubbed his 17th and 18th to lead Cal State Dominguez Hills to 6-4 win over Hawaii-Pacific in the nightcap of Saturday's non-conference doubleheader. The Sea Warriors earned its only win in the seven-game series that concluded today with a 10-6 win in the early game.

In the nightcap, the game was tied going into the bottom of the fifth. But Gevas, who hit a two-run blast in the first inning, belted a leadoff homer over the right field fence for the game-winning hit. One out later, Tony Marquez knocked out his tenth home run of the year with a shot off the scoreboard screen in left field to make it 6-4.

Toro starter Rick Moore (6-6) was strong to earn his sixth win of the year and tenth career win in a CSUDH uniform. Moore went the first 6.2 innings allowing only three earned runs on 10 hits while striking out three. Freshman reliever Chris Abbott came on in the seventh with two on and two out and retired the final batter to earn his second save of the year.

HPU starter Matt Paulsen took the loss pitching 5.0 innings allowing six runs on eight hits. Ikaika DuPont, Tyler Ward, Scott Hunter and Derek Little collected two hits each for the Sea Warriors.

In the early game, Hawaii-Pacific (24-23) battered Toro starter Brian Cortes who suffered his worst outing of the season. HPU put up five runs in the first inning and never looked back to go on for the 10-6 victory.

In the first, the Sea Warriors batted around sending 10 batters to the plate. Up 3-0, the big blow came when Little smashed a two-run double to left field to make it 5-0.

The Toros chipped away over the next six inning and trimmed the deficit to 9-6 with two runs in the sixth after an RBI double from Frank Perez followed by a run-scoring groundout by David Keesee. However, HPU plated an insurance run in the seventh on a RBI single from Shay Hirota to account for the final score.

Sea Warrior starter Blane Muraoka (3-4) picked up his third win of the year going the first 5.0 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. Brent Erickson came on to blank the Toros over 2.0 innings while giving up only two hits.

Hirota led HPU going 3-for-5. DuPont, Ward, Little and Bryan Daguio had two hits each in the winning effort.

Cal State Dominguez Hills starter Brian Cortes (5-3) suffered the loss lasting the first 3.2 innings and allowed nine runs, eight earned, on 11 hits. Chris Ingstad was sharp in relief going 2.2 innings allowing one run on three hits while striking out two.

Ruben Salazar, who hit a long bomb over the left field fence for his tenth homer of the year, and Frank Perez led the Toros with two hits apiece.

CSUDH (27-24) will close out the 2003 season next weekend when they host Chico State in a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series. The first game will take place on Friday, May 2 beginning at 2:30 p.m.