Toros Take Opener Against San Francisco State, 4-3 in CCAA Baseball Action
Puckett goes 3-for-3 and drives in winning run
March 24, 2006

Complete Box Score

Carson, CA- Cody Puckett (Apple Valley, CA/Hesperia HS) led the way with three hits and drove home what proved to be the game-winner in the 8th inning as the Toros took game one of a four-game set from visiting San Francisco State, 4-3. With the win, the Toros have now won six of their last seven and improve to 12-12 overall and 5-6 in conference play. With the loss, San Francisco State falls to 11-13 overall and 5-8 in conference play.

After taking a line drive off his leg in his last outing more than two weeks ago, CSUDH starter Jason Garcia (South Gate, CA/LA Harbor College) had a bit of rust as he began the game. Jason Dean would lead the game off for the Gators with a double to left center and proceed to steal third. Aaron Garcia would follow with a textbook sacrifice fly to center, allowing Dean to score the first run of the game, but CSUDH’s Garcia would settle into a rhythm and strike out the next two batters to end the inning.

CSUDH would use a bit of small ball in the 3rd after a lead off single by Puckett and a sacrifice bunt by Jerit Coleman (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach CC) put Puckett in scoring position. Fred Medina (Santa Ana, CA/Century HS) would take a 1-2 pitch and slap it into right field to bring home Puckett and tie the game at 1-1.

After SFSU would re-take the lead in the top of the 6th on a solo homerun to right field by Matt Kavanaugh, CSUDH would respond with a long ball of its own in their half of the 6th as Kyle Stanley (Buena Park, CA/Hawaii Pacific University) took the Gator offering and sent it over the wall in right field for his fourth homerun of the season, also plating Medina who walked two batters earlier.

The Gators would not be phased, tying the game at 3-3 in their next at-bat on a single to center by Phillip Girouard, which scored Derek Simper.

The Toros, however, would get in the final word in the 8th inning as Mateo Marquez (Biggs, CA/Cal State LA) led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a failed pick off attempt by the SFSU catcher. Puckett would follow with a shot into the gap in left center, scoring Marquez easily from second.

The Gators would threaten in the 9th, but Medina would jog in from left field to the mound and record the final out of the game and his first save of the year.

Gator starter Steven Evanson would receive the loss, tossing 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits.

Toro starter Garcia would receive the no decision, lasting 6 2/3 inning, giving up three runs on two hits while striking out eight, while reliever Gary Scott (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union HS) would be solid out of the bullpen, tossing 1 1/3 inning, giving up no runs and striking out two in the win.

Jason Klug (Moreno Valley, CA/San Bernardino Valley College) extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the 4th inning.

The Toros will next be in action tomorrow, when they take on the same Gators of San Francisco State, with the first pitch of game one’s double header slated for 11:00 am.