SAN DIEGO – On a Friday evening at Fowler Park where a pitcher's duel ensued over the first six innings with the game tied at one between San Diego and San Francisco, it was only a matter of time before USD's bats came alive. 

The first-place Toreros put together an eight-run seventh inning to fuel a 10-1 victory over the Dons to begin a three-game West Coast Conference series this weekend. 

In the seventh inning, Rex Watson hit a three-run home run to right field. That was eventually followed by AJ Beltre finding the trees beyond the left field wall for a three-run home run of his own as the Toreros batted around, sending 11 men to the plate in an inning that began by a hit by pitch from Beltre. 

That would be the offensive juggernaut the Toreros (18-26, 12-4 WCC) needed as Cal Scolari shined Friday evening, throwing a career-high 6.0 innings and 11 strikeouts while also allowing just one hit in 104 pitches. 

Scolari recorded multiple strikeouts in each of his first four innings of work, highlighted by recording a strikeout for all three outs in the second. 

The trio of Hayden Cody, Jaime Robertson and Jack Giordano closed it out over the final three innings to keep the Toreros in first place and increase the winning streak over the Dons (20-26, 7-12 WCC) to eight games. 

Cody (3-3) earned the win as he got out of a jam with runners at second and third with one out in the seventh to set up the Toreros' rally. 

USD opened the scoring in the first inning and three pitches into the game when leadoff hitter Jack Gurevitch hit an opposite field home run to left field. 

USF answered back in the second with a run on a bunt single. After that, San Diego surrendered just one hit in the seventh inning to cap off the two-hitter thrown by Toreros pitching. 

NOTABLE 

• Gurevitch's first-inning blast marked his 11th home run of the season, which is now tied for third in the WCC. 
• It is also his second leadoff home run in a week after doing that last Friday at Gonzaga. 
• Jayden Lobliner caught his 14th runner of the season trying to steal a base in the fourth inning, which is the second-best mark in the conference.
• Scolari's 6.0 innings pitched and 11 strikeouts Friday evening marked new career-highs. It also tied his career-best allowing one hit. 
• Rex Watson paced the San Diego offense, going 3-for-5 at the plate, stamped by his seventh inning home run, which was his ninth of 2025. He also increased his team-leading RBI mark to 48, which is tied for second in the WCC. 
• Friday also marked Watson's second three-hit game of the season (First: April 12 at Saint Mary's)
• Aden Howard went 2-for-4 at the plate, marking his ninth multi-hit game of the season.
• Beltre's seventh inning home run was his third blast of 2025. 
• Giordano's three strikeouts to end the game marked a new career-high in an outing
• The 16 strikeouts thrown by Toreros pitching ties a season best (Also: February 14 vs. TCU)
• In addition, the two hits allowed by San Diego pitching tied a season-high (Also: March 1 vs. CSU Bakersfield) 
• San Diego extends its winning streak over San Francisco to eight straight wins, which dates back to May 25, 2022 during the 2022 WCC Tournament.

UP NEXT
The Toreros and the Dons square off for the middle game of the three-game series Saturday at Fowler Park. First pitch between USD and USF is slated for 5 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.