March 16, 2004
Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - San Francisco broke open a one-run game with four runs in the fourth inning to hand Lafayette a 15-6 loss in non-conference baseball action on Tuesday at Benedetti Diamond.
Jason Boyd finished a home run short of the cycle, cranking out a single, double and a triple for a 3-for-5 day at the plate.
San Francisco took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Nick Cirbo led off the inning with a double that eluded diving centerfielder Boyd. Lafayette starter Brian Cope battled back to retire the next two batters with a strikeout and a groundout before No. 9 batter Stefan Gartrell singled home Cirbo. The Diamond Dons took a 2-0 lead later in the inning after Cy Donald (3-for-5) doubled in Gartrell.
Lafayette sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the third and captured a 3-2 lead. Adam Rosenberg's sacrifice fly drove in Matt Skellan who reached base on a four-pitch walk with one out in the inning. The next batter, Boyd, tripled off the 365-foot mark on of the leftfield wall, just missing a home run. Rob Fioretti singled in his outfield mate on a ball that slid through the right side.
San Francisco (8-12) struck back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run single by Joe Jacobitz. The second run scored on a close play at the plate, as Rosenberg's throw was in time but the one-hop toss forced Skellan to bobble the catch. The mini rally was aided by a Lafayette error that started the inning. Cope recovered late in the inning to strike out the final two batters.
The Diamond Dons padded their lead with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Chris Genung's run-scoring double preceded an RBI-groundout and a two-run home run by Cirbo. Cirbo's first home run of the season chased Cope from the game after he gave up eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Don Smith came on to relieve him and got the final out of the inning with the Leopards trailing 8-3.
Smith threw two and one-third innings and allowed just one hit before being replaced by Matt Revelle in the bottom of the seventh. Revelle gave up a run in the seventh. Hank Fichtner and John Fugett threw the eighth inning and gave up six runs on five hits.
The Leopards batted around in the top of the ninth. Pinch hitter David Drechsel doubled home two runs and Alexander singled home another to put the final at 15-6.
Ryan Muller earned the win for San Francisco, allowing three runs on two walks and three strikeouts over five and two-third innings.
The Leopards (3-7) close out the two-game series with San Francisco on Wednesday at 2 p.m. PT.
