SAN DIEGO — A five-run first inning that featured home runs from both Jakob Christian and Justin DeCriscio kicked off an early game offensive explosion for San Diego baseball (27-12, 11-4 WCC) on Tuesday night as it took down crosstown rival San Diego State (11-29, 5-13 Mountain West) by an 11-2 margin at Fowler Park to earn a midweek non-conference victory over the Aztecs.  

Strong performances on the mound from starter Ryan Kysar and the USD bullpen set the stage for the Torero bats — highlighted by yet another multi-home run game from Christian — to strike for three runs in the third, four in the second, and one in the eighth after their first-inning barrage. 

With Tuesday night's win over the Aztecs, USD has secured the 2024 San Diego "City Championship" by finishing the season series 2-0 over the Aztecs and maintaining a 2-0 record over UC San Diego, with an opportunity to stay undefeated with a win over the Tritons in the series finale on May 7. 

AN UNRELENTING OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT 

• San Diego wasted little time in Tuesday's crosstown matchup, getting the scoring started early when Christian boomed a solo homer over Fowler Park's right field wall in the first inning.
• Jack Gurevitch and Jack Costello then followed with a walk and a single to get runners on first and second, before Austin Smith ripped a two-RBI double down the right field line to plate them both. 
• Justin DeCriscio continued his team's first-inning rally with a two-run homer to left field to score Smith and make it 5-0 San Diego after the opening frame. 
• An RBI hit-by-pitch from DeCriscio, a single through the left side from Ariel Armas, and an RBI groundout from Will Worthington plated in three more runs for USD in the third inning, moving the score to 8-0 in favor of the home team. 
• San Diego State got on the board in the top of the fourth with an RBI sacrifice fly, before the Toreros added two more runs in their half of the frame with a pair of RBI singles from Costello and DeCriscio, making it 10-1. 
• After the Aztecs got on the board again with a solo homer in the top of the eighth, Christian responded by recording San Diego's first inside-the-park home run of the season, sending a sharp liner past SDSU's center fielder to give the Toreros an 11-2 advantage that they did not relinquish. 

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

• Kysar got the start on the mound for USD and turned in four strong innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits while striking out four and walking three. 
• Thurman then entered out of the bullpen and pitched a scoreless fifth inning with a strikeout. 
• Alex Schrier was next out of the Torero bullpen and turned in two scoreless innings, gathering a pair of strikeouts. 
• JD Goodcase and Tristan LaMaison teamed up to pitch the final two innings for USD, and allowed just one run, as they combined for two strikeouts and no walks. 

TORERO TIDBITS

• DeCriscio's first inning two-run shot is his first longball of 2024, and fourth career home run. 
• Thurman picked up the win for the Toreros on the mound, moving his record to 3-0 in 2024. 
• Two home runs in the win for Christian on Tuesday evening marks his fifth multi-homer game of 2024. 
• With his pair of homers, he now has 19 total home runs in 2024, which moves him into second place for San Diego's all-time single season home run record, behind Kris Bryant's remarkable 2013 record of 31. 
• DeCriscio's four RBIs matched his single-game high in 2024. 
• Smith was 2-for-3 from the plate, with a pair of runs scored, a pair of RBIs, and one walk. 

UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action this weekend, when they continue their homestand by hosting Gonzaga for a crucial three-game West Coast Conference series at Fowler Park. First pitch on Friday in game one against the Bulldogs is set for 6:05 p.m.