brock
15
Winner San Diego USD 36-18
12
Gonzaga GON 36-17
Winner
San Diego USD
36-18
15
Final
12
Gonzaga GON
36-17
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
San Diego USD 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 3 15 12 0
Gonzaga GON 5 0 2 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 12 18 2

W: Carr, Kyle (2-1) L: ZEGLIN, NICO (2-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Toreros Win 2022 WCC Tournament Championship

San Diego baseball beats one-seed Gonzaga 15-12 in 11 innings, receives program's ninth bid to NCAA Regional

STOCKTON, Calif. — San Diego baseball (36-18, 17-10 WCC) completed a resilient and thrilling comeback on Saturday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark, elevating the program to heights not seen in nearly a decade with a 15-12 win in 11 innings over one-seed Gonzaga (37-16, 20-7 WCC) that secured the second West Coast Conference Tournament Championship in program history.

USD BATS COME OUT ON TOP IN BACK-AND-FORTH AFFAIR
  • Junior catcher Caleb Ricketts got the scoring started in the top of the first with an RBI double, then graduate utility player RJ Teijeiro doubled the advantage a batter later with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
  • Gonzaga quickly answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame, taking a 5-3 lead after a two-RBI single and a three-run homer.
  • The back-and-forth affair continued in the following half inning when San Diego plated three with an RBI single from sophomore center fielder Dustin Allen and a two-RBI double from sophomore infielder Kevin Sim (Torrey Pines High School). 
  • USD held the Zags scoreless in the bottom of the second to preserve the tie but could not do so in the bottom of the third, yielding a pair of runs on an RBI groundout and an RBI single to fall behind by a 7-5 margin.
  • Sim pulled USD within one at 7-6 in the top of the fourth when he scampered home on a throwing error, but Gonzaga added three runs on a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly to make it 10-6 after seven.
  • San Diego's comeback began in earnest in the top of the eighth, with USD storming ahead to take a 12-10 lead win a six-run inning.
  • Meidroth got things started with an RBI double to make it 10-7, then Sim drove in a run with a single through the right side to cut the deficit to 10-8.
  • Ricketts singled to bring home yet another run at 10-9, then sophomore utility player Jack Costello delivered the inning's decisive blow, ripping a two-RBI single to push USD back ahead at 11-10 before he advanced to second on the throw.
  • A batter later, redshirt sophomore outfielder Camden Vasquez reached on a fielder's choice and Costello dashed home on a throwing error, making it 12-10, USD to cap a six-run frame.
  • USD, however, was unable to hold down the two-run advantage late, surrendering a pair of runs that allowed Gonzaga to tie it at 12-12 with a solo home run in the eighth and an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
  • After a scoreless 10th for both teams the Toreros powered up and pulled ahead with the two most important hits of its 2022 season.
  • Costello turned on a 2-2 fastball in the top of the 11th for a go-ahead solo shot to make it 11-10, then junior shortstop Cody Jefferis picked an opportune time for his first home run of 2022, hammering the first pitch he saw atop Banner Island Ballpark's right-field porch for a pair of invaluable insurance runs to give the Toreros a 15-12 lead they would not relinquish.
PITCHING BY COMMITTEE GETS IT DONE
  • True freshman lefty Gabe Maya started the game on the mound for the Toreros in what marked his first college start and was followed by redshirt freshman right-hander Drake Frize, sophomore righty Jack Hyde (Grossmont High School), true freshman right-hander Morgan Lunceford, and sophomore righty Ivran Romero (Poway High School).
  • Redshirt freshman lefty Kyle Carr (San Marcos High School) closed the game out in extra innings with a pair of scoreless frames, allowing zero hits and striking out three against a single walk to earn his second college win and move to 2-1 on the year.
TORERO TIDBITS
  • Ricketts once again led the way for USD at the plate on Saturday, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a double, and a walk.
  • Sim was 2-for-5 with a run scored, three RBIs, a double, and a walk.
  • Costello went 2-for-6 with two runs scored, three RBIs, and a homer.
  • Meidroth was 1-for-4 with a double, but scored a game-high four runs, drove in a run, walked twice, and was hit by a pitch.
  • Jefferis was 1-for-6 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a home run, and a walk.
  • Allen was 1-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two walks.
  • San Diego's 2022 West Coast Conference Tournament Championship is the program's first since 2013, when the Kris Bryant-led Toreros took home the conference title in Stockton.
UP NEXT
The Toreros will await their NCAA Regional destination during the 2022 college baseball tournament selection show on Monday after receiving the WCC's automatic bid to the postseason.

The show is set to begin at 9:00 a.m. pacific time, and can be viewed live on WatchESPN.
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