March 12, 2016 Box Score
WACO, Texas â€" The University of San Diego baseball team (9-7) rallied from behind to claim a 5-3 win over Baylor University (6-8) Saturday afternoon afternoon in a non-conference game at Baylor Ballpark.
The Bears got on the scoreboard first, as they managed to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. The BU runs came on Kameron Esthay RBI ground out, which scored Richard Cunningham, who was hit by a pitch. The second run came on passed ball, which scored Sheppard, who had singled, giving the home team an early 2-0 advantage.
USD then took back a run in the top of the third inning. Jerod Smith led off the frame with a walk, and he moved to second on a Jeff Houghtby single to right field. Both runners then moved up one base on a wild pitch, and Daniel Gardner then drove in Smith with an RBI groundout to the shortstop, cutting he lead in half at 2-1.
After Baylor took back that run in the bottom of the fourth, USD would even the score in the top of the sixth, by scoring a pair of runs on three hits. Ryan Kirby led off the frame with a single, and he moved to second when Bret Bewley drew a walk. Hunter Mercado-Hood then doubled down the left field line, which scored Kirby and moved Bewley to third. Two batters after, Kevin Collard then singled in Bewley to even the score up at 3-all.
Then in the top of the eighth inning, USD took its first lead of the game, as they scored one run on a Houghtby RBI single, which scored Smith, who had doubled, to give USD a 4-3 lead.
San Diego then tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a Mercado-Hood RBI single, which scored Riley Adams, who had singled, to put the game at its final of 5-3.
Offensively for the Toreros, Houghtby led the way, as he went 3-for-5 with one RBI, while Adams, Kirby and Mercado-Hood all recorded multiple hits as well.
Nathan Kuchta (1-1) came on in relief and picked up the win for the Toreros, as he allowed no runs on one hit, while striking out five in 3.0 innings of work. Kyle Ott (1-2) was saddled with the loss for the Bears, as he allowed one run on one hit in 1.1 innings of work.
The Toreros will return to action on Sunday, as they close out play in this tournament with a 10:30 a.m. game against Baylor at Baylor Ballpark.
