SAN DIEGO — San Diego baseball (5-1-1, 0-0 WCC) struck first for an early lead but couldn't hang on to complete an undefeated season-opening homestand on Monday night, falling to UC Irvine (6-1, 0-0 Big West) by a 14-6 margin at Fowler Park for its first loss of 2023 as it concluded play in the Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Junior infielder Kevin Sim (Torrey Pines High School) got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with an opposite-field single to right that brought home junior center fielder Dustin Allen.
- Graduate transfer infielder James Arakawa (Pacific) followed with a productive RBI groundout to plate junior third baseman/outfielder Jack Costello, and the Toreros had themselves an early 2-0 advantage.
- The Anteaters answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second and third innings on a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single, but junior utility player Angelo Peraza quickly put USD back on top, scoring freshman infielder Jack Gurevitch in the bottom of the sixth with a well-placed RBI single of his own to left-center field that made it 3-2 in favor of San Diego.
- UC Irvine then fought back with a pair of six-run innings in the top of the sixth and seventh to stake itself to a 14-3 lead, an advantage that was created with three RBI singles, two RBI fielder's choices, two sacrifice flies, a wild pitch, and a home run.
- San Diego plated three runs in the contest's final two innings on RBI singles from sophomore OF/LHP Austin Smith (UC San Diego, Granite Hills High School) and Costello to cut the deficit to eight, but got no closer.
TORERO TIDBITS
- NCAA National Player of the Week Jack Costello notched both a hit and an RBI for the fifth consecutive game, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk.
- Allen notched his first multi-hit game of 2023 with a 2-for-4 performance of his own that saw him score twice and walk once.
- Arakawa was 1-for-4 with an RBI and now has hit safely in each of San Diego's first seven games.
- Sophomore shortstop Justin DeCriscio extended his hit streak to five games with a 1-for-4 evening and a run scored.
- Smith (1-for-4, 2 RBIs) was the only Torero to drive in multiple runs on Monday.
- Freshman infielder Jack Gurevtich recorded his first hit since February 18 vs. Nebraska and scored a run.
- Sim was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a walk.
- Redshirt sophomore right-hander Chase Minor finished the game on the mound for the Toreros with a scoreless ninth, retiring the Anteaters in order with a groundout, a pop-out, and a strikeout.
- San Diego finished its seven-game season-opening homestand 5-1-1.
UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action this Thursday (March 2) when they begin a four-game series and a nine-game road stretch at Oregon. First pitch at PK Park is set for 4:05 p.m.