SAN DIEGO — A fourth-inning grand slam from Rex Watson was the turning point for San Diego baseball (8-24, 3-3 WCC) on Tuesday night as it overcame a six-run deficit to earn a 9-8 walk-off win over crosstown rival UC San Diego (14-17, 5-7 Big West).

USD scored six times in the seventh inning to tie the game at 8-8, which set the scene for freshman AJ Beltre to win the game for San Diego in the bottom of the ninth with a clutch RBI single to center field.

The Toreros dug themselves into a hole early, allowing UCSD to score four runs in the game's first three innings. A two-run homer from Jack Gurevitch in the bottom of the third inning cut the Tritons' lead in half, but it was not enough to stop UC San Diego's momentum, as the visitors claimed four more runs in the top of the fourth with an RBI triple, an RBI double, and an RBI single to take an 8-2 lead. 

A sacrifice fly from Isaiah Lane and an RBI single from Austin Smith started the Toreros' game-tying rally in the seventh inning before Rex Watson stepped up to the plate and delivered his second grand slam of the season on the first pitch he saw.

Tristan LaMaison and Austin Smith quieted the UC San Diego bats with a pair of strong performances out of the bullpen, teaming up to strike out five batters across three one-hit innings while walking none.

After Isaiah Lane led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and Smith flew out to left field, Jayden Lobliner was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch advanced him and Lane to second and third, then Watson was intentionally walked. Beltre was next, and he lined the fourth pitch of his at-bat into center field for an RBI single to win the game for San Diego once Lane had dashed home from third.

NOTABLE

• Five strikeouts from LaMaison led the way for the Torero pitching staff, as Smith, Jack Giordano, Fernando Palencia, and Porter Rovin each finished with two punchouts of their own. 
  • Rovin threw scoreless fifth and sixth innings after entering in the fourth. 
• Tuesday marked San Diego's first walk-off since May 7, 2024 when it walked off UC San Diego in the bottom of the 13th inning, also by a score of 9-8.  
• In five career games vs. UC San Diego (including Tuesday night) Jack Gurevitch is 11-for-21 (.524) at the plate with 10 RBIs and two home runs.
• Smith's fifth-inning double extended his hit streak to 23 straight games.  

UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action on Friday, when they hit the road to resume West Coast Conference play at Saint Mary's. First pitch in the series opener from Moraga is set for 3 p.m.