Lechuga Lights Out in Shutout of Lions, 7-0

Box Score 

(3/6/08 - Baseball) COSTA MESA - Senior LHP Enrique Lechuga tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout to lead visiting Concordia to a 7-0 win over Vanguard, Thursday afternoon in Golden State Athletic Conference play.

Lechuga (4-1) needed just 98 pitches to record his first collegiate shutout. His best previous outing was a four-hitter in a 2-1 win at Point Loma Nazarene last season in the opening round of the 2007 NAIA Region II Tournament.

By the time Lechuga had taken the mound, he had more than enough run support to help cruise to the win. The Eagles went through the order in the top of the 1st inning, tallying five runs on four hits. Following back-to-back one-out walks, all-American Matt Ross and Nick Fuentes hit consecutive singles, the second bringing Mike Gonzalez around to score.

The inning continued after a fly out when Beau Poteet lashed a fastball off the base of the wall in the gap in left to plate two more runs. Cameron Bayne followed suit with a 2-RBI single to complete the five-run outburst.

Kyle Bondurant led off for the Lions with a single to center, then walked Derek Craddock after a sacrifice bunt. instead of giving up any runs, a line drive by Jason Machado went straight to Nathan Dean at shortstop. Dean flipped to Gregg Davidson at second base to double off Bondurant and end the threat.

Including the double play lineout, Lechuga set down 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. The Lions could only muster a seeing-eye single through the left side in the 4th inning until Sonny Behrends walked to lead off the 6th inning. Despite the free pass, Lechuga got another double play to chalk up zero for the frame, getting Andrew Ramirez to roll into a a 5-4-3 inning-ender.

The Eagles tacked on two more runs in the 9th inning for good measure. Cody Kissell singled to left, then Davidson roped a triple to right field. Gonzalez tallied another single to plate Davidson to complete the scoring.

Poteet and Dean each had a pair of hits to pace the 11-hit attack for the Eagles. Bondurant had two of the three hits for Vanguard (6-12, 2-10 GSAC), adding the last single to lead off the 9th inning. Dustin Jones took the loss for the Lions, allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings.

Concordia (5-7, 4-6 GSAC) hits the road this Saturday, March 8 to take on The Master's in a GSAC doubleheader starting at 11:00 a.m.