LOS ANGELES – In their season finale, the San Diego softball program (23-29-1, 8-7 WCC) recovered from a game one loss to earn a Saturday split and take the series against first place Loyola Marymount (27-20, 12-3 WCC).  
 
San Diego dropped the first game 8-0, before rebounding for a 7-2 victory in game two at Smith Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SAN DIEGO 0, LMU 8 (F/5)

• Game one proved to be response from the Lions following San Diego's victory on Friday.
• The Lions would strike for two runs in the opening inning and would not relinquish the lead.
• The Toreros got their best scoring chance in the second inning, with a Joecellia Roebrts walk, Emma Giaime reaching on a fielder's choice and Taylor Johnson drawing a hit-by-pitch.
• However, the Toreros were unable to score, leaving two runners stranded.
• LMU slowly tacked on more runs and built a 5-0 lead through the first three innings.
• Giaime was able to settle the game down in relief in the circle, but the Lions ultimately finished the game in the fifth with three more runs.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SAN DIEGO 7, LMU 2

• Looking for a jolt in the finale, the Toreros got it quickly.
• Madison Earnshaw earned the start in the circle and struck out the first batter she faced in what became a scoreless frame.
• In the second inning, Alexia Torculas led off the order with a single and then promptly stole second base.
• After advancing on a sacrifice bunt, Clareese Santiago drove in Torculas for a 1-0 lead.
• The Lions were able to tie the game in the fourth inning on a home run and then took the lead in the fifth on another blast to make it 2-1.
• Much like the win on Friday, the Toreros came alive when it counted the most, as Giaime led off the seventh inning with a single.
• Santiago would shortly follow with a double, setting up the freshman EJ Joyner with runners on second and third.
• For the second day in a row, a freshman came through for two go-ahead runs, as Joyner laced a double to right center field, scoring both runners to give the Toreros a 3-2 lead.
• That would open the flood gates, as Savannah Alarcon and Izzy Owen each drew a walk to set up Arisa Tovar.
• Tovar drove a ball on the right side of the infield that went through the defender's legs, allowing two more runs to come home and increase the lead to 5-2.
• Roberts tacked on another run with a perfect, surprise bunt and Torculas drove in an additional run with an RBI single to make it 7-2.
• Despite the first Lion reaching in the bottom of the seventh, Ashley Daugherty was unfazed and finished off the Lions in the circle with a strikeout and allowing no runs.

 
TORERO TIDBITS

• San Diego won its first series over Loyola Marymount since 2017.  
• The Toreros also finish with their most wins in a season since 2018 and a winning record in conference play for the first time since 2017.
• Earnshaw ends her career as a Torero ranking fourth in appearances (112), fourth in starts (81), fifth in strikeouts (316), tied for sixth in solo shutouts (8) and seventh in innings pitched (492.0).
• Owen finishes her career in 10th on the Toreros all-time batting average charts, finishing with a career batting average of .335 as a Torero.