MALIBU, Calif. — A dominant, masterful start from
Austin Smith on Sunday afternoon led San Diego baseball (26-12, 11-4 WCC) to a wire-to-wire road sweep over Pepperdine (12-28, 6-9 WCC), beating the Waves by a 7-0 margin at Eddy D. Field Stadium as USD shut out an opponent for the first time in 2024.
Smith held Pepperdine scoreless for all eight innings of his fourth start of 2024, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out four. It marked the Toreros' strongest pitching performance since April 15, 2022, when Brycen Mautz threw a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 victory over Loyola Marymount at Fowler Park.
The junior lefty also excelled at the plate on Sunday afternoon, putting together his eleventh multi-hit performance of the year by going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Jakob Christian put the finishing touches on the Toreros' fourth straight victory by hammering a ninth-inning solo shot for his team-best 17th longball of the year.
San Diego has now won four games in a row, and has prevailed in 15 of its last 17 games.
A COLLECTIVE EFFORT AT THE PLATE
- A trio of singles from Jack Gurevitch, Jack Costello, and Smith loaded the bases for USD in the second, before an RBI hit-by-pitch from Justin DeCriscio, paired with an RBI groundout from Ariel Armas allowed the Toreros to claim an early 2-0 lead.
- Dustin Allen extended San Diego's lead by one in the top of the fifth inning with an RBI fielder's choice, making it 3-0.
- An RBI single from Armas in the eighth inning extended the Torero lead to five, scoring DeCriscio before Smith also came around to score on a Pepperdine error.
- Christian boomed a two-run homer over Eddy D. Field Stadium's center field wall in the ninth inning to give USD its largest lead of the game at 7-0, an advantage that it would not relinquish.
SMITH SUNDAY
- Smith made his fourth start of 2024 on Sunday afternoon and pitched the game's first eight innings, allowing zero runs while scattering three hits, walking two, and striking out four.
- He then turned things over to Calvin Schapira, who secured the shutout for USD by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
TORERO TIDBITS
- Sunday afternoon marks San Diego's first shutout victory of the 2024 season, and its first since April 15, 2022, when it held Loyola Marymount scoreless in a 1-0 win at Fowler Park.
- Smith earned the win on Sunday afternoon to move to 2-0 in 2024.
- Each of San Diego's runs on Sunday were scored by a different player.
- Christian recorded a trio of hits from the plate — including a two-run homer in the ninth inning — and earned himself a pair of RBIs. He has now recorded multiple hits in 13 of his last 17 games.
- USD has now won 15 of its last 17 games.
UP NEXT
After an eight-game, 16-day road stretch, the Toreros are set to return home for a nine-game homestand on Tuesday night, beginning with a crosstown rivalry matchup against San Diego State. First pitch opposite the Aztecs at Fowler Park is set for 6:05 p.m.
