Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. â€" The No. 25 USD baseball team (24-9, 11-3) earned their first shutout of the season, beating Pacific 1-0 Friday evening at Fowler Park. Chris Murphy and Troy Conyers combined for the shutout, allowing five combined hits and striking out 11. Hunter Mercado-Hood supplied the offense, knocking in Paul Kunst in the fifth inning with an RBI double. Kevin Collard was a perfect 4-for-4.

The Toreros' win, coupled with LMU's 1-0 loss at Saint Mary's, gives USD sole possession of first place in the WCC. They are now 11-3 in conference and a season-best 15 games over .500 (24-9).

The Toreros got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Paul Kunst was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and then Hunter Mercado-Hood roped a double to the right center gap, scoring Kunst all the way from first. It was Mercado-Hood's second double of the game, extending his hitting streak to 16 games.

The Tigers had runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the eighth, but Troy Conyers induced a 5-3 double play and then struck out their best hitter, James Free, to escape the jam.

The Toreros turned three doubles plays, but hit into two and stranded 12 runners.

Murphy (3-1) allowed five hits over seven shutout innings, walking two and striking out seven. His ERA in WCC games is now a miniscule 0.59.

Conyers didn't allow a hit in his two innings of relief, picking up his ninth save of the year, which ties him for the fifth most in a season in program history.

The Tigers' starter Cooper Casad (1-1) took the loss, giving up a run on six hits in 4.1 innings. Three Tiger relievers pitched the final 3.2 innings.

The Toreros and Tigers wrap up their three game series Saturday at 1:00 p.m.