pacific win 318
9
Pacific PAC 6-10, 0-2 WCC
16
Winner San Diego USD 8-8-1, 2-0 WCC
Pacific PAC
6-10, 0-2 WCC
9
Final
16
San Diego USD
8-8-1, 2-0 WCC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Pacific PAC 3 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 1 9 19 3
San Diego USD 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 10 X 16 8 1

W: Robinson, Ryan (2-1) L: Michael Defelippi (1-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Ten-Run Eighth Powers Comeback Win Over Pacific

San Diego erases early five-run deficit, beats Tigers 16-9 at Fowler Park

SAN DIEGO — San Diego baseball (8-8-1, 2-0 WCC) used some serious small ball to complete a big comeback on Saturday night against Pacific (6-10, 0-2 WCC), erasing an early five-run deficit with an absurd 10-run eighth inning as it secured a 16-9 victory over the Tigers at Fowler Park.

BIG HITS, BIG BUNTS, BIG COMEBACK
  • Pacific got the scoring started with three runs in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly and a two-RBI double, but junior infielder Kevin Sim (Torrey Pines High School) provided an immediate answer, hammering a solo home run to deep left-center field for the second consecutive evening to move the score to 3-1 (his sixth of 2023).
  • Both teams went scoreless across the next two frames until the Tigers added another three runs in the top of the fourth on another two-RBI double and another sacrifice fly, moving the score to 6-1 in favor of the visitors.
  • San Diego answered again in the bottom half of the frame when junior centerfielder Dustin Allen scored from first on a Sim infield single, pausing at second momentarily before racing around third without breaking stride for a daring dash home to make it 6-2.
  • Two more Pacific runs came across in the top of the sixth on a Torero throwing error and an RBI single before San Diego began its comeback efforts in earnest in the bottom of the inning.
  • After sophomore shortstop Justin DeCriscio led off the frame with a single, Sim shot an opposite-field double down the right-field line to put runners on second and third for sophomore outfielder/left-handed pitcher Austin Smith (UC San Diego, Granite Hills High School), who popped out for the first out of the inning.
  • Junior utility player Angelo Peraza followed with a walk, then graduate transfer infielder James Arakawa (Pacific) brought home DeCriscio with a sacrifice fly to right field, moving the score to 8-3.
  • Freshman infielder/designated hitter Jack Gurevitch walked, then junior infielder Will Worthington followed by ripping a bases-clearing, three-RBI double into the left-field corner, plating Gurevitch, Peraza, and Sim to cut the USD deficit to just two at 8-6.
  • Two innings later, San Diego completed its comeback (and then some) with one of its most remarkable innings in recent memory.
  • With USD down 8-6, the bottom of the eight inning at Fowler Park on Saturday unfolded as follows:
    • Arakawa is hit by a pitch
    • Gurevitch walks
    • Worthington lays a sacrifice bunt down up the third base line but the Tigers' throw to first sails high and wide, scoring Arakawa to make it 8-7 and advancing Gurevitch to third
    • Graduate transfer catcher Andrew Semo (Fordham, The Bishop's School) drops down another bunt but Pacific again makes an error throwing to first base, scoring Gurevitch to tie the score at 8-8 and advancing Worthington to third
    • Allen lays down a drag bunt and beats out the throw for the Toreros' lone hit of the inning, which plates Worthington to give San Diego its first lead of the evening at 9-8
    • Sim draws a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk, bringing home Semo to make it 10-8
    • Smith successfully executes yet another sacrifice bunt, scoring Allen from third to make it 11-8
    • With runners on second and third, one out, and the Pacific infield drawn in on the grass, Peraza slaps a sharp ground ball to the Tigers' second baseman, who unsuccessfully tries to cut down DeCriscio at home, making it 12-8.
    • Immediately after DeCriscio scores from third, Peraza draws a throw from the Pacific catcher as he sprints to second base, which allows Sim to score and push the USD lead to 13-8 after beginning the play at second base himself.
    • Back-to-back wild pitches plate Peraza and Arakawa, making it 15-8.
    • Worthington works a full count then drives in Gurevitch with an RBI grounder to third, capping the big inning to make it 16-8 in favor of San Diego.
  • USD ultimately plated 10 runs on just one hit in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of two Pacific errors while bringing home every runner that reached base.
  • The Tigers pushed across a run in the top of the ninth on an RBI double but got no closer, earning San Diego a memorable 16-9 victory over Pacific at Fowler park that secured it a series win over Pacific after taking Friday night's matchup 9-3.
ON THE MOUND
  • Graduate right-hander Garrett Rennie began the game on the mound for the Toreros and turned in 3.1 innings, surrendering five earned runs on seven hits while striking out one and walking one.
  • Freshman lefty Mikiah Negrete was first out of the bullpen in relief of Rennie and set forth 2.1 frames, allowing three runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out two.
  • Freshman right-hander Tristan LaMaison followed and tossed a scoreless inning after entering in the sixth, allowing a single hit while neither striking out or walking a batter.
  • Redshirt sophomore right-hander Drake Frize gave up a hit and a walk in just 0.1 innings of work but did not surrender a run.
  • Redshirt junior righty Ryan Robinson entered with a runner on first in the top of the eighth and successfully stranded him in his lone inning of work.
  • Freshman right-hander Aídan Gonzalez held the Tigers to one run on two hits and a walk in the ninth as he closed the game out for USD.
TORERO TIDBITS
  • Sim paced the San Diego offense with a 3-for-4 performance, finishing a triple shy of the single as he homered (solo, first inning), walked (second inning) singled (fourth inning), doubled (sixth inning), and walked again, this time with the bases loaded for an RBI (eighth inning).
  • He tied the game-high with three runs scored on Saturday and drove in two while being the only USD player with multiple hits.
  • Worthington was 1-for-4 and had a game and career-high four RBIs while also walking and scoring a run himself.
  • Smith (1-for-3), Arakawa (1-for-2), Allen (1-for-2), and DeCriscio (1-for-4) all had a single hit on Saturday night.
  • Smith drove in a run and walked, Arakawa drove in a run, scored two runs, and walked twice, Allen scored two runs, drove in a run, and walked three times, and DeCriscio scored twice.
  • DeCriscio's sixth-inning single bolstered his team-high .344 (21-for-61) batting average while giving him a hit in 14 of the Toreros' 17 games thus far in 2023.
  • Gurevitch was 0-for-1 but led the game with a remarkable four walks and tied the game-high with three runs scored.
  • Peraza was 0-for-5 but scored twice, walked once, and drove in a run.
  • Semo was 0-for-2 but both drove in a run and scored a run.
  • USD's 14 walks on Saturday night were its most of any game so far in 2023.
  • Smith, DeCriscio, and Semo made a key defensive play to end the top of the sixth that kept San Diego's deficit at just two runs when Smith gloved a Pacific double on a hop in the left-field corner and fired a strike to DeCriscio, who sent a perfect relay home to Semo, who applied the tag to cut down a Pacific runner attempting to score from first.
  • USD has now won each of its last nine matchups with Pacific, a streak that dates back to May 12, 2019.
UP NEXT
The Toreros will go for a sweep of Pacific tomorrow afternoon as they conclude their series with the Tigers. First pitch at Fowler Park is set for 1:00 p.m.
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