Following a walk, Nick Paolini smacked a triple to tie the tilt. With one out, Bob Slattery executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score Paolini and give Kuss the victory. The next day the Hilltoppers dropped a pair to Santa Clara's Broncos at Buck Shaw Stadium. SCU coasted in the opener, 11-0, as Slattery managed the only USF hit, a single with two outs in the last inning to ruin a no-hit bid by Bronco hurler Bill Tobin. Kuss came back in the night cap to hurl his second complete game in two days. The Hilltop right hander was betrayed by three errors in the sixth inning, however, to account for three of Santa Clara's runs. The outburst forged the Broncos in front, 4-2. USF countered with a rally in the last inning as Ed Kurakazu scored on Paolini's double, but the Broncs shut the door for a 4-3 win.
Phil Wanlin has temporarily hung up his football cleats to play left field for the Dons, while Grant Steer roams the centerfield pasture. Jim Mustanich, who sat out last year because of an injury, is back to start in right field. The catching slot is the most disputed position on the team. Neither senior Dan Quinn, juniors Joe Gergori or Frank Zbasnik, or sophomore Nick Paolini has won the starting berth, so all are expected to see alternate duty (TheFoghorn).
