SAN DIEGO—San Diego broke a 6-6 tie in the ninth inning to secure a 7-6 victory over UC Riverside on Tuesday evening at Fowler Park to take the season series 2-0.
After trailing for most of the contest, the Toreros (19-10, 4-5 WCC) scored a run in the seventh and a run in the eighth to knot the game at 6-6.
Jack Dolak retired the Highlanders (8-18) in order to keep the game tied and send it to the bottom of the ninth.
Cody Jefferis and
Caleb Ricketts hit back to back singles and
Paul Kunst laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance both runners.
Jeff Houghtby was then intentionally walked to load the bases and bring
Ripken Reyes to the plate with one out. On a 2-2 pitch, Reyes was drilled in the back to earn a free base and force in the winning run for the walk off victory.
The Highlanders got things going with a sacrifice flyout in the top of the first to make it 1-0. Houghtby answered immediately in the bottom of the first when he crushed a 3-2 pitch over right field wall and off of the side of the Manchester Village Apartments.
UCR would put two more on the board in the second before
Adam Kerner hit a leadoff home run again, this time to left field to make it 3-2 Highlanders.
Riverside scored two more runs in the fourth and one in the seventh but the Toreros consistently answered. USD scored in every inning but the third and sixth however San Diego could not pull ahead until the final pitch of the game.
Houghtby was 2-for-4 in the contest, including the solo home run and finished the day with two RBIs and one run. Jefferis finished 2-for-4 as well with two runs and an RBI while
Paul Kunst added three hits, including a double and a run. USD combined for 14 hits in the contest.
Louie Crow got the start for San Diego, pitching two innings and giving up three runs on two hits and three walks.
Jack Dolak (3-2, 4.11 ERA) was credited with the win for USD, going three shutout innings with one hit, no walks and three strikeouts.
The Torero bullpen combined for eight strikeouts in the contest and just three walks and held the Highlanders to six hits.
USD remains home for a WCC series against BYU beginning on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT.
