EUGENE, Ore. — Jack Costello homered and a trio of Toreros set forth solid performances on the mound, but a late-game comeback fell-short in a low-scoring affair on Thursday afternoon at PK Park, dealing San Diego baseball (5-2-1, 0-0 WCC) a tough 3-2 loss to Oregon (5-3, 0-0 Pac-12) as it kicked off its 2023 road schedule.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Costello, the NCAA Baseball National Player of the Week, got the Toreros on the board first in the top of the first inning with a line-drive solo shot into the Torero bullpen in left field.
- USD held that 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fourth inning, when the Ducks plated a pair on an RBI double to pull ahead by a 2-1 margin.
- Oregon added on on the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run, then San Diego struck back with a run of its own in the top half of the eighth, cutting the deficit to 3-2 when junior infielder Kevin Sim shot an opposite-field RBI single through the right side that scored sophomore shortstop Justin DeCriscio.
- The Toreros brought the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs in the ninth after freshman infielder Jack Gurevitch singled, but could not complete the comeback, suffering a 3-2 loss to the Ducks on Thursday in the opening contest of the four-game set.
ON THE MOUND
- Sophomore lefty Austin Smith (UC San Diego, Granite Hills High School) began the game on the mound for the Toreros in what marked his first start in a USD uniform.
- He tossed three shutout innings while allowing just two hits, walking none, and striking out two.
- Redshirt sophomore Drake Frize was next and surrendered a pair of runs on three hits while walking two and striking out a team-high four in 1.2 innings of work.
- Freshman left-hander Mikiah Negrete turned in the Toreros' longest outing on Thursday afternoon, throwing a team-high 3.1 frames while allowing a run on two hits, walking nine, and striking out two.
TORERO TIDBITS
- Costello was 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored, and a pair of walks.
- After beginning the 2023 season 0-for-10, he is hitting a team-best .355 and leads USD in hits (11), runs scored (12), home runs (six), RBIs (19), and total bases (29).
- Sim (Torrey Pines High School) was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
- DeCriscio extended his hit streak to a career-high five games with a single and also scored a run.
- Arakawa (1-for-4, 1B, BB) has now hit safely in each of San Diego's first eight games.
- Gurevitch and Peraza (St. Augustine High School) were both 1-for-4.
- Smith now has four scoreless innings and five strikeouts to his credit across two pitching appearances with San Diego.
- USD has led in both of its two losses thus far in 2023 (February 27 vs. UC Irvine, 2-0.
UP NEXT
The Toreros will continue their series with Oregon tomorrow afternoon. First pitch at PK Park is set for 3:05 p.m.