Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- The No. 23 San Diego Toreros got another solid performance on the mound as starter Sammy Solis went the distance and allowed just four hits during a 5-1 win over the No. 22 Portland Pilots in a West Coast Conference game on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. USD has won two straight against the Pilots, who will try to salvage a win in the three-game series during the finale tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
The first-place Toreros remain a perfect 14-0 in the WCC and take a three-game lead over the second-place Pilots, who fall to 11-3 in the conference and to 31-11 overall. USD’s overall record is 29-16.
Yesterday it was Kyle Blair, who lost a no-hitter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, today it was Solis (8-1). The lefty didn’t walk a batter while striking out 10. Portland’s only run came on a solo home run by senior OF Austin Pearce in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Sophomore Owen Jones (4-2) gets the loss for Portland after allowing three runs, two earned, in 6.0 innings of work. He registered one strikeout and gave up 10 hits. Senior Ed Wakefield pitched two-thirds of a scoreless inning, and freshman reliever J.R. Bunda was solid before letting in two runs in the top of the ninth. Only one of Bunda’s runs was earned as the Pilots hurt themselves with three errors on the day.
San Diego did just enough offensively to give Solis a little breathing room. First the Toreros broke open a scoreless game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. With one out and runners on second and third, Nick McCoy brought home the game’s first run with a bloop single to left field that was just out of the reach of a leaping Matt Mardesich, UP’s third baseman. The next run scored when James Meador raced home on a fly ball that was caught in foul territory by right fielder Tyler Thompson.
USD then added an unearned run in the seventh before taking on a little insurance in the ninth. One run scored when Meador was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. It appeared Meador may have stuck his elbow into the path of the curve ball from Bunda, but he was awarded first base anyway. The first run came when Kevin Muno followed a double by Mike Ferraro with a double of his own.
San Diego totaled 12 hits for the day. Muno and Ferraro both accounted for three of those hits.
Despite the three errors, Portland did make some stellar plays in the field. The play of the year may have come in the second inning when shortstop Kris Kauppila hooked up with second baseman Riley Henricks for an improbable double play. With one out and runners on first and second, Kauppila made a diving stop on a hard hit ground ball deep in the hole up the middle. From his belly, Kauppila flipped the ball back to Henricks, who tagged second before firing it to C.J. Cullen at first base, easily getting McCoy by at least a step.
Portland will celebrate its senior day prior to the series finale on Sunday. It’s the last scheduled regular season home Sunday game for the Pilots, who will honor Cullen, Rocky Gale, Kyle Haskin, Ben Panther, Pearce, Tommy Renda and Wakefield with a pre-game ceremony.
