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Baseball:
Cusick Delivers Walk-Off Hit as No 1 UCI Defeats USC
April 28, 2009 IRVINE, Calif. --- Jeff Cusick laced a two-run single up the middle to complete a ninth-inning, five-run rally as No. 1 UC Irvine came from behind to defeat USC, 6-5, Tuesday at Anteater Ballpark. The win lifted the Anteaters to 31-11 overall while the Trojans fell to 21-20. Trailing the entire game, UCI had opportunities to score, loading the bases in the seventh with one out and putting runners on first and second with one out in the eighth, but came up empty. However, the Anteaters, who had been held to five hits in eight innings, mounted a furious rally in the bottom of the ninth. Casey Stevenson doubled to left to lead off the frame and Ronnie Shaeffer followed with a base on balls. Pinch hitter Dillon Bell singled up the middle to drive in Stevenson. Ryan Fisher followed with a single to the left side, loading the bases for Jordan Leyland, who jumped on a 1-0 offering from reliever Anthony Vasquez for a single to plate Shaeffer and cut the lead to 5-3. Ben Orloff executed on the squeeze play, scoring Bell from third and bringing UCI to within a run at 5-4. Eric Deragisch was intentionally walked, setting the scene for Cusick's walk-off hit. Deragisch was 2 for 3 with a runs scored while Shaeffer also added two hits. Cusick paced the Anteaters with two RBI with Orloff, Bell, Leyland and Francis Larson each driving in a run.
Eric Pettis earned the win to improve to 4-1 after pitching a scoreless ninth, striking out two and yielding a hit. Starter Crosby Slaught held USC to a run on one hits in three innings in the start. USC took the early two-run lead, scoring single runs in the second and fourth. The Anteaters cut the lead to 2-1 on Larson's sacrifice fly to right to score Dergisch. However, Anthony Vasquez recorded a pop-up to second that allowed Grant Green to score in the sixth and registered the sacrifice again in a two-run eighth as USC took a 5-1 advantage. Vasquez dropped to 2-4 after pitching 1/3 inning and giving up two runs on three hits. Starter Chad Smith limited the Anteaters to a run on two hits in six innings of work. Vasquez and Billy Pinkerton led the team with two RBI apiece while Ricky Oropesa had a team-high three hits. The Anteaters resume Big West Conference action this weekend against Cal State Northridge. |
