April 18, 2010
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego scored four unanswered runs in the late innings to beat visiting Santa Clara 9-4 at Cunningham Stadium Sunday and complete a three-game weekend sweep.
San Diego (20-15; 6-0 WCC) - preseason favorites to win the West Coast Conference title - is off to a terrific start to the league season. The Toreros won three-straight against LMU last weekend.
Victor Sanchez and Zack Kometani belted back-to-back solo homers in the eighth to seal the win. Sanchez's drive to left field ended the day for SCU freshman starter Chris Mendoza (2-3) and put USD up 7-4. Kometani then homered to right field off reliever J.R. Graham.
USD totaled 35 hits in its three wins over Santa Clara (14-19; 1-7 WCC). Pat Terry hit an RBI single and Evan Peters doubled during a three-run sixth inning, which gave the Broncos a 3-1 lead.
Zach Walters - who homered Saturday - hit another dinger Sunday as the Toreros responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to re-take the lead for good. A.J. Griffin (2-3) pitched 6 1/3 innings of six-hit ball to earn the win. Matt Hauser notched his fifth save, working 2 2/3 innings to close it out.
SCU will try and snap a four-game losing streak when they travel up to Palo Alto Tuesday, April 20 for a midweek game against Stanford. First-pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Stanford swept No. 14 Oregon State over the weekend in Corvallis, by scores of 14-6, 5-3 and 10-7.
WCC STANDINGS:
San Diego 6-0/20-15
Portland 8-1/23-9
San Francisco 3-2/19-16
Pepperdine 3-2/13-18
Gonzaga 2-3/13-22
St. Mary's 2-4/11-20
Santa Clara 1-7/14-19
LMU 0-6/16-18
WCC SCORES THIS WEEKEND:
SAN DIEGO 10, Santa Clara 2 - FRI
SAN DIEGO 9, Santa Clara 4 - SAT
SAN DIEGO 9, Santa Clara 4 - SUN
PORTLAND 17, Loyola Marymount 2 - FRI
PORTLAND 5, Loyola Marymount 1 - SAT
PORTLAND 13, Loyola Marymount 12 - SUN
GONZAGA 16, Pepperdine 3 - FRI
Pepperdine 11, GONZAGA 2 - SAT
Pepperdine 10, GONZAGA 5 - SUN
San Francisco 4, ST. MARY'S 2 - FRI
ST. MARY'S 5, San Francisco 1 - SAT
San Francisco 5, ST. MARY'S 0 - SUN
NEXT WEEKEND:
St. Mary's @ Santa Clara (3)
San Francisco @ LMU (3)
Portland @ Pepperdine (3)
Gonzaga @ San Diego (3)
