San Diego State Beats Point Loma in Opener

San Diego State got a home run and great starting pitching, two ingredients it was missing most of last season, to open its 1992 baseball season Monday with a 4-0 victory over Point Loma Nazarene in Point Loma.

Lassen Community College transfers Matt Cleek and Benji Grigsby, both making their Aztec debuts, were the keys to the victory.

Cleek, a first baseman, hit a two-run homer over PLNC’s center field fence to give the Aztecs a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning. Grigsby (1-0) struck out nine, walked two and allowed only three hits before giving way to Steve Trainor in the eighth inning.

The Aztecs hit only 13 home runs in 64 games last year.

SDSU got its first run when catcher Rick Page singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by junior second baseman Matt Franco. Junior shortstop Steve Dietz scored the final run in the seventh after a throwing error on a two-out grounder by Jason Ledford.

PLNC’s Craig Van Hulzen (0-1) allowed all six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Chris Gunnett went the final 3 1/3. PLNC had only five hits, two each by designated hitter Rich Miller and left fielder Galen Ichii.

Former Padre catcher Fred Kendall was named manager of the Utica Blue Sox in the single-A New York-Penn League.

FOOTBALL

Willie Branch, the University of San Diego’s freshman tailback who played at Sweetwater High, was named the Toreros’ 1991 offensive player of the year at the team’s awards banquet. Senior defensive back Dave Paladino was the defensive player of the year and senior kicker/wide receiver Dave Bergmann was the special teams players of the year.

Senior tailback John Eck, who has a 3.81 grade-point-average, won his third consecutive scholar-athlete award, and senior tight end was presented with the strength coaches’ award.

Branch rushed for 1,004 yards and 12 touchdowns in 95 carries. His average of 10.6 yards per carry was a school record. Paladino led the Toreros (7-3) in tackles with 117 and interceptions with three. Bergmann finished with USD career records for points (177), field goals (35) and longest field goal (53 yards).