San Diego College Baseball : Esquerra Homer Helps USIU Beat 17th-Ranked UCLA, 9-6

Bob Esquerra’s seventh home run of the season helped United States International University defeat 17th-ranked UCLA, 9-6, Wednesday in a nonconference college baseball game at USIU’s Players’ Field.

Esquerra’s two-run homer gave gave the Gulls a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning. Esquerra also doubled and scored in a three-run second.

The Bruins’ Jeff Osborne and Todd Zeile hit consecutive solo home runs in the eighth to make the score, 6-5. But an RBI single by Greg May and a two-run single by Ron Green in the bottom of the eighth preserved the victory for the Gulls (13-24).

USIU went ahead for good in the fourth when John Ronis scored on a squeeze bunt by Rich Lamparello.

Carl Grovom (3-3) pitched 7 innings for the win. Corey Way pitched the final 1 innings for his third save in three games. Starter Jim Ramsey (0-1) took the loss.

The Gulls, who were 3-16 earlier this season, have won 10 of their last 18 games. UCLA, which defeated San Diego State, 14-13, on Tuesday, drops to 21-13.

In other college baseball action:

San Diego State 8, Cal State Long Beach 7 (10 innings)--Scott Middaugh’s infield single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Steve Montejano from third base and gave the Aztecs (20-10-1) a come-from-behind nonconference win over the 49ers at Smith Field.

SDSU trailed, 6-0, and was being no-hit by Long Beach’s Dwight Choyce through five innings before rallying. Montejano hit a two-run single and Phil Woolsey lined a two-run double to pull the Aztecs within 6-4 in the sixth. Steve Hill’s two-run double tied the score, 6-6, in the seventh.

After the 49ers scored a run in the top of the ninth, SDSU tied it when shortstop Chris Gill couldn’t handle Hill’s two-out grounder with the tying run on third. Rob Angus scored on the play to send the game to extra innings.

Matt Harr (1-2), the fifth Aztec pitcher, got the win. John Agundez (1-2) pitched the final three innings and was the loser.