SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Taylor Johnson's three-run home run capped a six-run third inning as San Diego (15-18, 2-2 WCC) defeated Loyola Marymount (23-14, 1-3 WCC) by a 6-3 margin on Thursday night at the Reggie Smith Softball Complex in the opening game of its home WCC campaign. 

San Diego broke the game open in the third with a burst of manufacturing and power. Abrielle Diaz led off with a double to left center before Ava Rojas entered as a pinch runner. Hailey Mulligan reached when the Lion third baseman overthrew first base, allowing Rojas to score the game's first run. After Carly Ruiz laid down a bunt single to put runners at the corners, Kaitlyn Wynia drove in a run on a fielder's choice to push the lead to 2-0. A wild pitch advanced Ruiz to third, and Mallory Axline followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0, setting up Taylor Johnson to deliver the game's biggest blow. With runners on first and second, LMU brought in a reliever and Johnson wasted no time, launching a three-run shot to left field to blow the game open at 6-0.

Kaitlyn Bartlow was excellent through the first five innings, allowing just five hits and no runs, getting out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth. She handed it to Alex Riggs to start the sixth, and the Lions capitalized — loading the bases and scoring three runs, one unearned on a Mulligan error, before Charlie Johnson came on to strand the damage at 6-3.

Johnson then shut the door in the seventh, working 1.1 innings and stranding a runner to earn her third save of 2026.

The Toreros will be back in action tomorrow when they continue their series with the Lions for game two. First pitch at the Reggie Smith Softball Complex is set for 4:00 PM.