SAN DIEGO – The San Diego softball program (17-23-1, 3-2 WCC) rode a season-best showing to a critical doubleheader split of Pacific (9-20, 0-5 WCC) on Saturday, earning a 13-1 win in five innings during game one and emerging victorious in a 3-1 decision in game two.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SAN DIEGO 13, PACIFIC 1 (F/5)

• Despite a triple by Pacific in the opening inning, the Toreros offense was unphased and struck early and often against the Tigers.
• Mikalyn Emanuelli drew a walk in her first at-bat, before being immediately driven home on an RBI double from Arisa Tovar to make it 1-0.
• A single from Emma Giaime and a walk from Taylor Johnson loaded the bases for EJ Joyner, who tacked on another run with an RBI single.
• The Toreros delivered more of the same in the second inning, tagging the Tigers for six runs on seven hits.
• The first five Toreros reached in the inning, as Emanuelli recorded an RBI single and Tovar added her second RBI double of the day to contribute to a 6-0 advantage.
• More runs crossed the plate as Joecellia Roberts and Joyner delivered back-to-back RBI doubles to expand the lead to 8-0.
• Five more runs crossed the plate in the third inning, as a Giaime RBI triple and Johnson RBI single started the inning with a bang.
• Amanda Limon capped off the offensive explosion with a two-out, two RBI double, before coming home herself on an error to make it 13-0.
• While the offense was surging, Madison Earnshaw remained in command in the circle, going a complete five innings for her team-leading seventh win.
• Earnshaw only struck out one batter, but held Pacific to just five hits and only one run, finishing off her five innings in just 66 pitches.  

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SAN DIEGO 3, PACIFIC 1

• Game two started off slower, as both teams only got their first hits in the third inning.
• Starting pitcher Courtney Rose worked around a single that inning and passed the torch to the offense who aided her quickly thereafter.
• Alexia Torculas led off the third inning with a bang, launching her first home run of the season to deep left field for a 1-0 Torero lead.
• Rose turned in another scoreless frame, before the Toreros struck again in the fourth inning.
• After a hit-by-pitch of Johnson and a double from Roberts, both runners would come home on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Torculas to make it 3-0.
• While Pacific was able to get a run back in the fifth, Rose stopped the rally with an emphatic punch-out of Pacific's preseason All-WCC Carly Lucchetti to keep them off the board.
• Rose limited the Tigers to just one more hit the rest of the afternoon and generated three ground ball outs over the final two frames to earn the win.

 
TORERO TIDBITS

• San Diego's 16 hits in game one were the most by the team in a game since registering 18 hits in a win over Cal State Bakersfield on Mar. 19, 2017.
• Every Toreros starter registered at least one hit in the game one victory over the Tigers.
• The five doubles by the Toreros in the game one win are the most by the team since tallying six against Seattle on Feb. 12, 2017.
• Head Coach MJ Knighten won the 50th game of her collegiate career during game two.
• With an RBI during game one, Roberts now has 24 on the season, good for the most by a Torero since Sara Silveyra's 26 in 2019.
• Tovar finished with a career-day in game one, setting new career-highs with three hits, two doubles and three RBI. Tovar is up to .309 on the season with a career-high 13 RBI and seven extra-base hits.
• Earnshaw moved into sole possession of fifth all-time in total appearances at San Diego with her 105th in the circle. Next up is Cassidy Coleman (108) in fourth.
• San Diego is now 13-3 in games where they register at least two extra-base hits and 10-1 when they score six or more runs.

 
UP NEXT
The Toreros will wrap up their three-game series with Pacific on Sunday, hosting the Tigers for a final time at 12 p.m. The game will be streamed via the WCC Network.