SAN DIEGO — Another remarkable performance from junior infielder Jack Costello on Sunday night kept San Diego baseball (5-0-1, 0-0 WCC) undefeated, using a little bit of "Fowler Magic" to earn a thrilling 6-5 walk-off win over UNLV (4-3, 0-0 MW) as part of the Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament.

Costello gave the Toreros their first lead of the evening in the bottom of the fifth on a go-ahead two-run homer, then put his team up for good in the bottom of the ninth when he delivered a one-out walk-off single.

Bolstered by a standout performance out of the bullpen from redshirt junior righty Ryan Robinson, graduate right-hander Garrett Rennie paced San Diego's efforts on the mound with a six-inning, career-high nine-strikeout performance.

"THESE GUYS DON'T QUIT"

• The Hustlin' Rebels struck first in the top of the fourth inning, scoring a pair of unearned runs on a wild pitch and a two-RBI double for an early 3-0 lead.
• San Diego immediately struck back in the bottom half of the frame, plating a pair of runs when sophomore catcher Ariel Armas (St. Augustine High School) came up big with his first hit of 2023, a line-drive double that sailed over UNLV center fielder Rylan Charles' head to bring home sophomore transfer two-way player Austin Smith (UC San Diego, Granite Hills High School) and graduate transfer infielder James Arakawa (Pacific) and cut the deficit to 3-2.
• After junior infielder Dustin Allen singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth, Costello continued his hot streak at the plate, pulverizing a line-drive two-run homer over Fowler Park's left-center field wall to give USD its first lead of the night at 4-3.
• Sophomore shortstop Justin DeCriscio helped the Toreros add on an inning later, sending a booming double into the left-center field gap that brought home Armas and made it 5-3 in San Diego's favor.
• After a seventh-inning two-run homer from UNLV tied the contest at five, the stage was set for more late-game USD heroics.
• DeCriscio flew out to right field to begin the bottom of the ninth, then junior utility player Angelo Peraza (St. Augustine High School) worked a full count and drew a six-pitch walk.
• Allen followed by drawing a walk of his own, bringing the Toreros' hottest hitter to the plate with the winning run in scoring position.
• On the second pitch he saw, Costello turned on an inside fastball and laced a sharp line-drive single to the left-field wall, plating Peraza from second to earn San Diego a walk-off 6-5 win over UNLV at Fowler Park.

RENNIE, ROBINSON SHINE ON THE MOUND

• Rennie began the game on the mound for the Toreros and turned in a solid start, scattering five hits across six innings of work as he allowed three runs (zero earned), walked just one, and struck out a career-high nine.
• Robinson (1-0) took over for freshman lefty Mikiah Negrete with two outs in the top of the seventh and turned in 2.1 shutout frames, working his way around two hits and two walks with four strikeouts to earn his first win of 2023.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Costello paced the San Diego offense for the second consecutive game, going 2-for-5 with a home run, a run scored, and three runs batted in, including a walk-off single.
• Armas was next with a pair of RBIs, which came on a two-RBI double that marked his first hit of the 2023 season.
• DeCriscio joined Costello and Armas in driving in a run on Sunday night by going 1-for-4 with an RBI double. He now has a hit in each of his last four games.
• Allen, Arakawa, and Smith all had a single hit on Sunday. Arakawa now has a hit in each of the Toreros' first six games, including two multi-hit performances.
• Peraza, Allen, freshman infielder Jack Gurevitch, and Armas all drew a single walk on Sunday.
• Peraza, Allen, Costello, Arakawa, Smith, and Armas all scored a single run on Sunday.
• Peraza now has scored the winning run on a walk-off hit on three occasions: March 4, 2022 against Dallas Baptist, April 15, 2022 against Loyola Marymount, and tonight, February 26, 2023 against UNLV.
• The Chula Vista, California native also has two walk-off hits of his own: February 19 against Nebraska and April 15, 2022 against Loyola Marymount.
• Rennie's nine strikeouts on Sunday were a career high, eclipsing his previous best of eight that he set on March 25, 2022 against Saint Mary's.
• Robinson has not allowed an earned run through 6.2 innings so far this season. He has allowed just two hits and walked only two in that span, which has seen him strike out 13 and earn both a win and a save.

UP NEXT
The Toreros will conclude play in the Tony Gwynn Legacy tomorrow evening with a matchup against UC Irvine. First pitch at Fowler Park is set for 6:00 p.m.