Toros Baseball Drop Fifth Straight, Swept Again by Hawaii Pacific
March 21, 2004

Complete Box Scores
Game 1      Game 2

Honolulu, HI—Hawaii Pacific swept the Toros for the second consecutive day winning the first game of today’s non-conference doubleheader, 11-2, over visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills then capturing the nightcap, 4-2, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI.

CSUDH is now 9-27 while HPU improves to 13-15.

The Sea Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second innings before the Toros tied the game with two runs in the third. In the third inning, RF Zac Cort (El Cerrito/El Cerrito HS) knocked in 2B Houston Hernandez (La Mirada/St. Paul HS) with a double down the left field line making it 2-1. After Cort advanced to third on an infield hit to third base by LF Jose Montes (Pacoima/San Fernando HS), he then promptly stole home to tie the game.

But HPU’s Zach Blatteis (2-1) would shut out the Toro batters the rest of the way and his offense would provide him with nine runs over the next four innings, including four runs in the fifth, to go on for the 11-2 win.

Houston Hernandez accounted for two of the Toros six hits in the game finishing 2-for-3 at the plate.

CSUDH starter Ramon Mata (0-4) took the loss and is still in search of his first win of the season. Mata (Long Beach/LB Jordan HS) went the first 3.0 innings allowing seven runs, all earned, on nine hits. Chris Abbott (Tujunga/Pasadena HS) and Roberto Esparza (Sylmar/San Fernando HS) tossed the final 3.0 frames allowing four runs on four hits.

In the second game, Cruz Hatanaka held the Toros to one run on six hits before giving way to closer Josh Ervin with two outs in the seventh en route to a 4-1 victory.

The Sea Warriors got all the runs they would need in the second inning on back-to-back RBI doubles from Alika Kuraoka and Billy Wright to take a 2-0 lead.

HPU tacked on two more runs in the fourth on an RBI triple from Wright followed by a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

Cal State Dominguez Hills got on the board with a run in the fifth on a run-scoring groundout with runners on second and third off the bat of pinch-hitter Daniel Pilimai.

The Toros made it close in the seventh when Pilimai knocked in his second run of the game with a double off the left field wall with runners on first and second. Cort was then intentionally walked to load the bases, but Chris Martinez would groundout to second base to end the game.

Toro starter Brett Ingstad (0-1) went the distance tossing 6.0 innings allowing four runs on seven hits. Ingstad walked four batters and struck out two.

CSUDH was led by Pilimai who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.

The seven-game series will conclude with a single game on Tuesday beginning at 10 AM.