STOCKTON, Calif. — San Diego baseball (15-10, 3-2 WCC) on Friday night sat through a nearly five-hour rain delay before unleashing a staggering offensive onslaught to secure a series victory over Pacific, compiling 19 hits, nine walks, four doubles, a triple, and two homers to propel itself past the Tigers (5-21, 1-4 WCC) by a 17-4 margin at Klein Family Field.

USD's dominant offensive performance featured at least one hit from 11 different players, multi-RBI performances from five different batters, and two players with three hits. 

Ivran Romero, Vaughn Mauterer, Chase Minor, and Aidan Gonzalez teamed up out of the bullpen to shutout the Tigers through the final six innings of play. 

The Toreros' 13-run margin of victory is their largest of 2024, and is the most they've won by since April 21st, 2023, when they blew out USF 17-3 at Fowler Park 

EARLY AND OFTEN

• Pacific got on the board first with an RBI-double to left-center in the bottom of the first to give them an early 2-0 lead.
• The Toreros responded in the following frame with a trio of RBI singles from Ariel Armas, Will Worthington, and Angelo Peraza to give USD a one-run advantage in the top of the second.
• Jack Costello scored Jack Gurevitch in the top of the third by ripping an RBI triple into center field, giving San Diego a 4-2 lead. Austin Smith and Armas followed with two more RBI singles to extend the Torero lead to 6-2 in the top of the third inning.
• The Tigers answered in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to cut the lead down to two before Justin Decriscio responded in the ensuing frame with an RBI lineout in the top of the fourth to score Peraza and regain a three-run advantage for his team at 7-4. 
• Dustin Allen then stole third base before crossing home by way of an RBI double down the left-field line from Costello to extend the Torero lead to eight.
• Smith then capped off USD's big fourth inning by booming the first pitch he saw over the right field wall and into the Stockton night sky for a two-run homer that made it 10-4 Toreros after the fourth inning. 
• A trio of RBI doubles from Allen, Smith, and Armas in the fifth and sixth innings added three more runs for San Diego, giving it a 13-4 advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth.
• The Toreros exited the seventh inning with a dominant 15-4 advantage after an RBI single from Peraza and a wild pitch that allowed him to cross home.
• After Smith reached on a fielder's choice in the ninth, Christian put the finishing touches on USD's big win by crushing a two-run homer of his own to left field.

USD BULLPEN SHINES 

• Righty Josh Randall got the start on the mound for San Diego on Friday night and surrendered four runs through three innings pitched, while striking out six and walking just one. 
• Romero entered out of the bullpen in relief of Randall and pitched three scoreless innings, striking out four batters of his own, while walking one.
• Mauterer, Minor, and Gonzalez each pitched one of the remaining three innings to close out the game, teaming up to strike out five and walk only one.

TORERO TIDBITS 

• Romero picked up the win on Friday to move to a team-best 4-1 in 2024.
• Christian's two-run homer in the top of the ninth marked his third longball of the Toreros series against Pacific, with one game still to go.
• The Torero pitching staff as a whole combined to strike out 15 batters on Friday evening, their most since facing Arizona earlier this season, where they teamed up to strike out 19.
• Smith was a triple away from completing a cycle, as he gathered two singles, a double, and a homer in his four-RBI performance.
• Gurevitch walked three times in the victory.
• Peraza, Costello, Smith, Christian, and Armas all recorded at least two RBIs on Friday night.

UP NEXT 
The Toreros will look for the series sweep over the Tigers tomorrow afternoon. First pitch at Klein Family Field is set for 1:00 p.m.