ANN ARBOR, Mich. — San Diego baseball on Saturday afternoon unleashed an unrelenting offensive onslaught to secure a series victory over Michigan, hammering 15 hits and drawing 10 walks as it prevailed by a 16-7 margin at Ray Fisher Stadium.

With the win, the Toreros (10-7, 0-0 WCC) have taken at least two of three from the Wolverines (6-13, 0-0 Big Ten) this weekend, and have been victorious in six of their last eight games.

Ariel Armas and Jakob Christian both shined at the plate on Saturday, contributing three RBIs apiece alongside a four-hit performance from Jack Gurevitch.

Calvin Schapira set forth a strong start on the mound for USD, allowing only one earned run across five innings.

San Diego was up 16-3 before a rain delay paused play at Ray Fisher Stadium for nearly 30 minutes.

The Toreros' nine-run margin of victory is their largest of 2024, and is the most they've won by since April 28, 2023, when they blew out LMU 11-1 in Los Angeles.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Michigan got on the board early with an RBI groundout, but Armas had an answer after San Diego loaded the bases in the top of the second, plating Austin Smith and Jakob Christian with a booming two-RBI double that split the left-center field gap and put USD back in front. Will Worthington and Justin DeCriscio followed with a textbook sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly, and by the end of the frame the Toreros were ahead 4-1.
• With their lead cut to 4-2 in the top of the fifth, the Toreros added three more runs. Smith got the scoring started with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field that brought home Gurevitch, then Christian launched a towering home run to deep left center, hammering the second pitch he saw through a stiff wind to plate Jack Costello and make it 7-2 in the visitors' favor.
• Yet another RBI fielder's choice got U-M back on the board in the bottom of the sixth, but USD responded yet again when it plated two runs in the top of the seventh, doing so via a pair of RBI singles from Armas and Worthington.
• San Diego did its most damage in the top of the eighth, scoring seven times to take a commanding 16-3 lead after Christian drew a bases-loaded walk, Dustin Allen drove an RBI single to center field, Peraza drew a bases-loaded walk of his own, Ryan Ward reached on a Michigan fielding error that scored a run, and Gurevitch sent an RBI double off the center field wall.
• The Wolverines pushed across four runs in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI hit by pitch, a two-RBI double, and an RBI groundout to make it 16-7, but got no closer.

ON THE MOUND

• Schapira struck out four and walked two on Saturday while scattering six hits and allowing two runs (one earned) in five innings.
• Conner Thurman struck out four batters of his own across 1.2 hitless frames before Chase Minor struck out the side in a perfect bottom of the ninth inning to seal the win for San Diego.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Led by Armas and Christian's three-RBI performances, eight different Toreros drove in a run on Saturday.
• Christian drew a game-high three walks against the Wolverines, and was joined by seven other teammates in working at least one free pass. His four runs scored were also a game high.
• All three of Christian's home runs in 2024 — which also comprise all three of his home runs at both USD and the Division I level — have come against Michigan this March.  
• Gurevitch's four hits on Saturday led the game.
• Worthington was the only Torero besides Armas and Christian to notch multiple RBIs.
• San Diego has won six of its last eight games dating back to March 3, when it beat Michigan 9-1 at Dodger Stadium as part of the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic.

UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action tomorrow afternoon, when they vie for their first sweep of 2024 in the series finale against the Wolverines. 

First pitch at Ray Fisher Stadium is set for 10:00 a.m. PST.