LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Junior left-hander Ricardo Pecina tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts and senior second baseman Kevin Hansen recorded his first collegiate home run to help lead the eighth-ranked University of san Diego baseball team to a 5-3 win over UCLA Tuesday evening in a non-conference game at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Pecina (5-2) pickup the win on the mound for the Toreros has he came on in relief in the first inning and allowed no runs on four hits in 5.2 innings of work. AJ Griffin recorded his 12th save of the season as he allowed no runs on one hit in 2.2 innings of work.
USD wasted no time in scoring as in the first inning the Toreros scored one run on one hit. Kevin Muno got things started with a walk and then Sean Nicol launched a run-scoring triple up the left centerfield gap, scoring Muno from first, to give USD a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins then answered back with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The first UCLA run came when Brandon Crawford reached on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice and the next three came on a three-run triple by Ryan Babineau to move the score to 3-1.
The Torero bats then awoke in top of the sixth inning to regain the lead. Josh Romanski led off the inning reaching on a throwing error by the UCLA shortstop, and he moved to second on a James Meador single to right field. Kevin Hansen then launched his first collegiate home run over the left field fence to push across three runs and give USD a 4-3 lead.
San Diego then added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. Logan Gelbrich got things started with a walk, then moved to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a throwing error by the UCLA catcher. Hansen then drove in Gelbrich with a single through the left side to give the Toreros a 5-3 lead.
Offensively for the Toreros, Muno went 3-for-3 with one run scored and Hansen led the offense going 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
