FORT WORTH, Texas — San Diego baseball (6-8-1, 0-0 WCC) struck first for a pair of runs and plated another two in the top of the ninth inning but could not hang on to secure the series win over No. 10 TCU on Sunday afternoon, suffering a hard-fought 5-4 defeat to the Horned Frogs (9-6, 0-0 Big 12) at Lupton Stadium.

EARLY LEAD, LAST-CHANCE COMEBACK FALL SHORT

• After junior infielder Kevin Sim (Torrey Pines High School) reached on a double and graduate transfer infielder James Arakawa (Pacific) legged out an infield single, freshman utility player Ian Blazier got the scoring started with his first career RBI — a grounder to second base that plated Sim from third.
• Sim scored again when San Diego doubled its lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI double from Arakawa, making it 2-0 in favor of the Toreros.
• TCU provided an immediate answer in the bottom of the frame, hitting a pair of sixth-inning home runs — one solo and one of the two-run variety — to pull ahead by a 3-2 margin.
• Another Horned Frog two-run homer followed an inning later, giving TCU a 5-2 advantage in the bottom of the seventh.
• True to its never-say-die attitude, San Diego made things interesting by mounting a significant comeback effort in the top of the ninth while trailing by that same 5-2 margin.
• Sim grounded out to begin the frame, then Arakawa worked a full count before launching his second double of the game to deep center field.
• Junior infielder Will Worthington was next as a pinch hitter for Blazier, but struck out for the second out of the inning.
• Graduate catcher Andrew Semo (The Bishop's School) followed with a pinch-hit appearance of his own and drew a five-pitch walk, putting runners on first and second.
• Freshman infielder/designated hitter Jack Gurevitch entered as a third consecutive USD pinch hitter after Semo and drew another walk, this time after working a full count to load the bases for sophomore shortstop Justin DeCriscio.
• Down to his (and the Toreros') final strike in a 2-2 count, DeCriscio completed a gritty at-bat by shooting a sharp line-drive single to left field, plating both Semo and Arakawa to cut the USD deficit to just one run at 5-4.
• Sophomore outfielder/left-handed pitcher Austin Smith (UC San Diego, Granite Hills High School) saw three pitches in the ensuing at-bat but flew out to left field for the final out of Sunday afternoon's game, leaving San Diego just a single run short of a stirring comeback at Lupton Stadium.

KYSAR, NEGRETE TURN IN STRONG OUTINGS

• Redshirt sophomore right-hander Ryan Kysar began Sunday afternoon's contest on the mound for USD and turned in two scoreless innings in his first appearance of 2023, surrendering a pair of hits while walking one and striking out one.
• Freshman lefty Mikiah Negrete was first out of the bullpen in relief of Kysar and set forth three solid frames, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out two and walking none.
• The lone blemish on his outing came down to a single pitch — the one that saw him surrender a sixth-inning TCU two-run shot.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Arakawa led the game with a season-high three hits (two doubles) while driving in a run, scoring a run, and drawing a walk.
• DeCriscio was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. He has now hit safely in all but three of the Toreros' 15 games so far in 2023.
• Sim was 1-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
• Costello was 1-for-4 with a single.
• Semo and Gurevitch both drew a walk in a ninth-inning pitch-hit at-bat.
• San Diego outscored TCU 19-10 across three games at Lupton Stadium this weekend and lost twice by a combined three runs.

UP NEXT
The Toreros are set to conclude a season-long nine-game road stretch on Tuesday evening against UCLA. First pitch at Jackie Robinson Stadium is set for 6:00 p.m.