Toros Tame Broncos With Two Five Run Innings in 11-4 Baseball Victory
Marquez and Hicks each go long in win
April 5, 2007

Complete Box Score

Carson, CA – The Toros baseball team kept its momentum from last Saturday’s win over UC San Diego going, taming the Broncos of Cal Poly Pomona 11-4, and winning consecutive games for only the second time all year. With the win the Toros improve to 10-24-1, 6-15 CCAA and the Broncos fall to 13-20, 6-15 CCAA

The Toros offense would get the series started off quickly in the bottom of the 2nd, loading the bases after back-to-back singles by Michael Craig (Rollings Hills, CA/Pepperdine University) and Dustin Hicks (Lake Forest, CA/Crichton College), and a Bronco fielding error allowing Brain Sturgis (Hawthorne, CA/Mira Costa HS) to reach safely with no outs.

Jerit Coleman (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach CC) would follow with a laser down the right field line to bring home Craig and Hicks.

Matt Magallon (Glendale, CA/Bellarmine-Jefferson HS) then blooped a single to right for the Toros’ third run on the inning followed by Mateo Marquez (Biggs, CA/Cal State L.A.), who dropped down a bunt that hugged the third base line and rolled all the way to the base.

Houston Hernandez (La Mirada, CA/St. Paul HS) and Cody Puckett (Apple Valley, CA/Hesperia HS) followed with a single and a sacifice fly to bring home the Toros fourth and fifth runs of the inning.

Toro starter Jeff Phillips (Redondo Beach, CA/Harbor College) ran into some trouble in the top of the 3rd, after allowing a leadoff double to left center and a single to put runners on the corners with no outs.

A.J. Cavaletto then hit a deep fly ball to center, allowing the runner from third to tag up and score the Broncos’ first run of the game.

CPP would keep the pressure on, loading the bases with two outs, but Phillips would induce an inning ending ground ball to second to get out of the jam

Over the next five innings Phillips would be lights out, however, allowing only three hits.

After tacking on a single run in the bottom of the 5th, Hicks led off the 8th with his second homerun of the year to right center field.

After an RBI single up the middle by Magallon, Marquez then blasted a 2RBI shot over the fence in left, and a Chris Hunter (Vallejo, CA/Vallejo HS) double to right center brought home the Toros 11th run of the game.

CPP didn’t go quietly in the top of the 9th, scoring three runs on four hits, two coming on a homerun by Cavaletto to left.

Offensively, Puckett went 3-for-4 on the game, while Marquez, Hernandez, Hicks, Coleman, and Magallon each had two hits on the day.

With his pair of base hits on the day, Hernandez now has 198 in his four-year Toro career, and currently sits two double behind former Toro great Joe Gevas (47) for doubles in a career with 45.

On the mound Phillips tossed 8.1 innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits and striking out three batters while tossing 113 pitches, 73 of which were strikes.

The two teams will battle again tomorrow, with first pitch slated for 2:00pm on Toro Field.