SAN DIEGO — Despite a trio of home runs from sophomores
Kevin Sim,
Dustin Allen, and
Jack Costello, and sophomore left-handed pitcher
Brycen Mautz setting a new career-high in strikeouts with 15, San Diego baseball (5-4, 0-0 WCC) dropped a tough 8-6 decision to Dallas Baptist (5-5, 0-0 MVC) on Saturday afternoon at Fowler Park.
A SATURDAY SLUGFEST IN SAN DIEGO
- DBU struck first with three home runs early on to jump out to a 4-0 lead, then Sim (Torrey Pines High School) struck back with a round-tripper of his own in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-1, lacing a solo shot over the left field wall to mark his fourth consecutive game with a homer and his fifth home run in his last four games.
- The Patriots added on with another home run in the fifth, but Allen and Costello promptly answered back in the bottom of the frame with a pair of two-run homers, with Allen turning on a fastball that brought true freshman Ariel Armas (St. Augustine High School) in to score, and Costello demolishing 3-0 heater for a towering two-run shot to deep left field that hit halfway up the light pole beyond the fence before it plated sophomore Chase Meidroth and evened the score at five runs apiece.
- Dallas Baptist again took the lead in the sixth and seventh with two more home runs, first establishing a 6-5 advantage with a solo shot before a two-run homer made it 8-5.
- Costello sent a sacrifice fly to deep center field in the bottom half of the seventh to pull USD within one at 8-6, but the Toreros would get no closer, falling to the Patriots in the series' middle game by the same score.
HISTORIC STRIKEOUT NUMBERS FOR MAUTZ
- Mautz (Westview High School) struck out the side in the top of the first inning en-route to fanning every DBU starter at least once.
- His 15 Ks on Saturday afternoon are the most by a USD player since right-hander Kyle Blair had 15 on May 7, 2010 against Portland.
- Mautz was one strikeout shy of the program record in single-game strikeouts (16), which was set by both Blair and Brian Matusz in March of 2008. Blair had 16 Ks on March 16, 2008 versus Hawaii-Hilo, and Matusz matched the feat six days later versus Harvard.
- His final line on Saturday: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 15 K.
TORERO TIDBITS
- Sim has now homered in four straight games dating back to February 26 against Fresno State.
- He clubbed two on Friday night against the Patriots, giving him five round-trippers in his last four games.
- Costello was 1-for-3 with a run scored and three RBIs and has hit safely in each of the Toreros' first nine contests, a streak that includes five multi-hit performances.
- Dating back to May 21, 2021, the Simi Valley, California native has a 14-game hit streak going.
- Costello, who was named to the 2022 All-WCC Preseason team, has hit safely in 39 of the 50 games he's played in so far at USD, and has gone hitless just 11 times.
- Since going hitless in his first two college appearances on February 21 and 27, 2021, he's been hitless just nine times.
- Twenty-two of his 50 college games so far have resulted in a multi-hit performance.
- Allen was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk.
- Sophomore Angelo Peraza (St. Augustine High School) was 1-for-4 with a single, extending his hit streak to five games.
- Armas was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored and has now hit safely in five of seven games to begin his college career
- Meidroth was 2-for-3 with a run scored and his team-leading 10th and 11th walks of the season.
- Sophomore right-hander Ivran Romero (Poway High School) threw 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to conclude the game, surrendering a hit and a walk while striking out two.
UP NEXT
The Toreros will conclude their series against Dallas Baptist tomorrow afternoon. First pitch at Fowler Park is set for 12:00 p.m.