Azusa Pacific Beats Toros in Extra-Innings Baseball, 8-2
Cougar's score six times in top of 12th to win non-conference game over CSUDH
March 1, 2005

Complete Box Score

CARSON, Calif.--(March 1, 2005)--Azusa Pacific scored six times in the top of the twelfth inning to defeat host Cal State Dominguez Hills, 8-2, in non-conference baseball action Tuesday afternoon at Toro Field.

APU (4-5) sent 11 batter's to the plate and was aided by two walks and three hit batters by freshman pitcher Michael Brown (Santa Cruz/Santa Cruz HS) in the pivotal frame. Scott Hodsdon came in from shortstop in the bottom of the inning to nail down the win.

The game was a pitcher's duel between Cougar starter Kelly Strickland and CSUDH starter Gus Hernandez (Lynwood/Lynwood HS). Strickland went the first 9.0 innings for the visitor's allowing both runs on nine hits while striking out six. Hernandez pitched his best game of the season going the first 7.1 innings for the Toros allowing two runs, only one earned, on seven hits with no walks.

Stephen Vogt put Azusa Pacific up 1-0 with an RBI single in the third. Vogt made it 2-0 in the fifth with a two-out RBI double to leftfield scoring Coba Canales who had reached earlier on an error.

Cal State Dominguez Hills (6-8) tied it in the bottom of the fifth on a single and back-to-back doubles by Houston Hernandez (La Mirada/St. Paul HS) and Pedro Gutierrez (Carson/Carson HS) making it 2-2.

APU threatened in the sixth putting runner's on first and second with no out. But the Toros got a rare triple play when Johnny Soberal lined out to second baseman Houston Hernandez, who flipped to shortstop Pedro Gutierrez who then stepped on the bag and tossed to first base to get the force for the 4-6-3 triple play.

The game stayed scoreless the rest of the way until the 12th-inning when Brown self-destructed on the mound, allowing six runs on three hits, two walks and three hit batsmen before being lifted. That inning also saw a run scored on a passed ball with the bases loaded, an RBI walk by Johnny Soberal, a run-scoring sacrifice fly and a two-run single from Joe Billheimer.

Zach Pettikas (2-2) got the win in relief for Azusa Pacific going 2.0 scoreless innings allowing only one hit. Vogt led the Cougar nine with four hits and two RBI, Coba Canales finished with three hits on the day.

For CSUDH, Houston Hernandez went 4-for-4 at the plate. Three other players collected two hits apiece. David Leyva (Los Angeles/Serra HS) and Elmer Rivas (Los Angeles/Los Angeles HS) were effective in relief of Toro starter Gus Hernandez. The two combined for 2.1 scoreless innings of one-hit relief in the losing cause.

Cal State Dominguez Hills is back in CCAA action this weekend at Cal Poly Pomona. The three-game series against the Broncos is set to begin on Friday beginning at 2 PM. The series will conclude on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 AM.