USD Game at Nevada Reno Ended by Fight in Fifth

The University of San Diego baseball team’s game with Nevada-Reno was suspended in the fifth inning Friday after a bench-clearing, five-minute brawl.

There were no serious injuries or arrests in the fight between the two West Coast Conference teams, according to officials. But several players on both squads suffered facial cuts and bruises and some fights broke out between spectators in the parking lot, according to campus police officers.

The two teams had been scheduled to complete their season series today at 11 a.m. in a doubleheader, but USD Coach John Cunningham told a reporter from the Reno Gazette-Journal that the Toreros would forfeit.

The Wolf Pack was leading, 3-1, when the fight started.

The brawl began after a USD player rammed his knee into a Nevada Reno player, who responded by slapping his face, according to the host team.

Cunningham said players “came out of both dugouts with the intent of hurting someone. In 28 years of coaching, I’ve seen fights, but nope, nothing ever like this.”

Said Nevada Reno Coach Gary Powers: “There’s no excuse for what took place here. It was an ugly, ugly incident that should not have happened.”

The teams had played three previous games this season, with USD winning two. USD entered the game 23-29, 15-15 in the WCC. Nevada Reno was 26-20 and 8-12.