SAN DIEGO — San Diego baseball (14-18-1, 7-7 WCC) on Saturday jumped out to an early lead for the second consecutive evening but again could not hang on to secure a win, suffering a 9-5 loss to Portland (19-15, 9-5 WCC) at Fowler Park.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Toreros struck first for a run in the bottom of the game's opening frame via an RBI groundout from Kevin Sim, the Pilots answered with a four-run second, scoring on a RBI infield single and a three-run homer to make it 4-1 in their favor.
- Portland homered twice in the third and once in the fifth to extend its lead, then made it a 9-1 game in the top of the eighth on an RBI single.
- Ariel Armas launched his first college home run in the bottom of the eighth before a bases-loaded walk from Jack Gurevitch and a pair of Pilot errors brought home three more runs but USD got no closer, dropping a 9-5 decision to Portland at Fowler Park on Saturday night.
ON THE MOUND
- Conner Thurman, Aídan Gonzalez, Mikiah Negrete, Drake Frize, and Tristian LaMaison combined for 6.2 innings of two-run ball after Portland plated seven early runs.
- Thurman turned in the Toreros' longest outing of the evening with 3.2 frames while surrendering a single run.
- Gonzalez and LaMaison each set forth a single scoreless inning.
TORERO TIDBITS
- Armas' eighth-inning home run was his first at the college level.
- Four different Toreros (Sim, Gurevitch, Dustin Allen, and Armas) drove in a run on Saturday.
- Each of USD's five runs were scored by a different player.
- James Arakawa, Sim, Gurevitch, and Allen all drew a walk on Saturday.
- Thurman paced the San Diego pitching staff with three strikeouts, matching his 2023 season high.
- Chris Esquivel notched his first college hit in the bottom of the eighth on a well-placed bunt single up the third base line.
UP NEXT
The Toreros will conclude their series with Portland tomorrow afternoon. First pitch at Fowler Park is set for 1:00 p.m.
