Toros Baseball Falls 8-2 in Opener to Golden Eagles, Then Tie 2-2 in Nightcap
Craig hits homerun in each game of twin bill
February 3, 2007

Complete Box Scores »» Game 1    Game 2

Carson, CA - The Golden Eagles would jump all over the Toros in the opener, scoring seven runs in the first four innings to run away with an 8-2 win, but a strong starting performance by Gus Hernandez (Lynwood, CA/Lynwood HS) in the nightcap would stymie the CSULA bats and cause the game to end in a 2-2 tie due to darkness. The Toros are now 0-3-1 on the season while Cal State L.A. improves to 3-0-1.

In the opener the Golden Eagles would get on the scoreboard with a leadoff homerun to center field by Kurt Crowell in the top of the 2nd.

CSULA would keep the pressure on Toro starter Matt Hopps (Torrance, CA/South HS) in the top of the 3rd, using an RBI double from Crowell. Jack Roche would follow two batters later with a single up the middle to push across the third Golden Eagle run, and another single by Darrick Hale would drive in two more runs for CSULA.

After the Golden Eagles tacked on two more runs in the top of the 4th, Dustin Hicks (Lake Forest, CA/Crichton College) would lead off the bottom of the 4th with a double down the right field line. Michael Craig (Rolling Hills, CA/Pepperdine) would step into the batter’s box and take a 1-1 offering and send it over the wall in left.

However, that bomb would about all of the offense that the Toros could muster, scratching out just four hits over the remaining five innings.

Offensively Chris Hunter (Vallejo, CA/Vallejo HS) would go 4-for-4, while Cody Puckett (Apple Valley, CA/Hesperia HS) and Hicks each chipped in two hits in the effort.

Hopps would last 4.0 innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits while striking out three.

Toro reliever Rudy Rojas (Lynwood, CA/Cerritos College) be strong out of the pen, tossing five innings and giving up one run on two hits while recording six strikeouts.

CSULA starter Isaac Morales picked up his first win of the season, giving up two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.

In the nightcap the Toros would finally strike first in the bottom of the 2nd with a one-out double down the right field line by Brian Sturgis (Hawthorne, CA/Mira Costa HS) to score Scott Moore (Upland, CA/Cal State L.A.) from third.

CSULA would respond to the Toro run in the top of the 4th, pushing across a pair of runs with a two-out double to the gap in left center by Ivan Tapia.

Craig would lead off the bottom of the 4th for the Toros and take the second pitch he saw and blast his third homerun of the season to center field.

The Toros would have a chance to go ahead in the bottom of the 6th after Mateo Marquez (Biggs, CA/Cal State L.A.) hit a two out single to left and then stole second. A walk to Hunter followed by a pass ball and a walk to Sturgis would load the bases, however, Golden Eagle reliever Arturo Reyes would induce an inning-ending ground ball.

The game would then be called due to darkness, and will be recorded as a 2-2 tie.

Hernandez would give the first quality start of the season for the Toros, tossing six innings and allowing two runs on four hits.

The Toros will next be in action next Saturday, February 10, when they host Cal State San Marcos for the first ever meeting between the two schools, with the first pitch of the double-header slated for 11:00 am on Toro Field.