Feb. 17, 2006
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The ninth-ranked University of San Diego baseball team (6-1) pounded Vanderbilt University (0-1), 10-0, in the opening game of the USC Public Storage Classic Friday afternoon.
USD wasted no time in scoring as they did most of its scoring damage in the second inning putting up six runs on three hits. Junior catcher Jordan Abruzzo and junior right fielder Shane Buschini got things rolling for the Toreros with back-to-back walks. Shortstop Steve Singleton then continued his seven-game hit streak with a single to centerfield to load the bases with one out. The designated hitter Kevin Hansen hit a hard rocket shot to the pitcher that hit off his glove and slipped into right-center field to bring across two runs. Ryan Lilly then brought in a third run on a sacrifice bunt and Justin Snyder hit a run scoring double to make the score 4-0.
USD continued its scoring in the second inning when Keoni Ruth hit a rocket shot to the third baseman, who threw the ball to high for the first baseman allowing Ruth to get on first base, scoring Snyder from second base. Ruth stole second and third to give Josh Romanski a runner in scoring position with two outs. Ruth then scored another USD run as he stole home beating out the throw from the VU starting pitcher David Price.
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USD would add one run in the fourth and three more in the seventh to extend its lead to 10-0. In the seventh inning, the highlight came on Ryan Lilly's first homerun of the season, a two-run blast over the left field fence.
Josh Butler (3-0) turned in another solid pitching performance, picking up the win for the Toreros allowing no runs on four hits in eight innings of work to maintain his 0.00 ERA. Price (0-1) picked up the loss for Vanderbilt allowing seven runs, five earned, on five hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Offensively for the Toreros, Hansen went 2-for-3 with three RBI, Singleton went 2-for-4 and Ruth went 2-for-4 with one double, one RBI and four stolen bases.
The Toreros will return to the diamond on Saturday at 1 p.m. as they continue pay in the USC Public Storage Classic against the 30th-ranked Jayhawks of the University of Kansas.
