SAN DIEGO – The San Diego softball program (12-28, 0-0 WCC) earned a big victory to end the non-conference slate, downing California Baptist (20-19, 7-3 WAC), 2-1 on Tuesday evening at the USD Softball Complex.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – SAN DIEGO 2, CALIFORNIA BAPTIST 1

• In the final non-conference game of the season, Courtney Rose took the circle for the Toreros and delivered a commanding performance.
• Rose breezed through the opening inning and turned it over to her offense.
• Tele Jennings gave Rose the lead almost immediately, lacing a home run off the scoreboard in right field to give San Diego a 1-0 lead.
• That would be all Rose needed, who worked around a second inning infield single to retire the next 11 batters she faced.
• The Toreros had a chance to add to the lead in the fourth inning, as Joecellia Roberts led off the frame with a single, then made an aggressive move to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Michelle Delgado.
• However, Roberts would be tagged out at home as she attempted to come home on a potential wild pitch, which kept the lead at 1-0.
• The Toreros nearly scored again in the fifth inning, as Mikalyn Emanuelli and Carly Ruiz each singled to set up Amanda Limon.
• The senior came through with a base hit up the middle, but Emanuelli was thrown out at the plate which stifled the Toreros in the frame.
• After the Lancers threatened in the sixth inning, Rose was able to induce a double play to end six scoreless innings.
• In the sixth, San Diego finally notched a key insurance run, as Jennings reached on a walk, then advanced to third on a passed ball and a groundout.
• Delgado was next up and lined the first pitch she saw to left field to score Jennings on a sacrifice fly and make it 2-0.
• The run proved to be critical, as the Lancers attempted a comeback in the seventh inning.
• CBU tallied two doubles to cut the lead to 2-1 with a runner in scoring position and just one out.
• However, Rose generated a groundout and a strikeout to finish off the victory.
   

TORERO TIDBITS

• Jennings tallied her 16th extra-base hit of the season. That's the most by a Torero freshman in a single season since Lauren Kane (16 – 2016) and the most by any Torero since Sara Silveyra (20 – 2019).
• Jennings is also the first Torero to hit a home run in back-to-back games since AJ Kaiser on Apr. 16 and Apr. 19, 2022 and the first Torero freshman to do so since Kane on Apr. 10 and Apr. 16, 2016.
• Roberts extended her hitting streak to nine consecutive games in the win.
• San Diego has home runs in five of their last six games after just two in the previous 34 games.

 
NEXT UP

• The Toreros will open conference play on Friday, Apr. 12, as they welcome LMU for the first of four games at 5 p.m., at the USD Softball Complex.

 
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