SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Both sides had their share of mistakes on the night, but it was the Dons whose miscues came back to haunt them as the USF baseball team suffered an 8-4 loss to San Diego on Saturday evening at Fowler Park in a game that featured a total of six errors between the two clubs.
USF got a 2-for-5 day at the plate by
Allen Smoot, who also drove in a pair of runs, but committed two errors that led to runs.
Manny Ramirez, Jr. collected two hits as well, while
Matt Sinatro scored twice.
The Dons (14-13, 2-6 WCC) fell into an early hole when a two-out error by Smoot at third base allowed a USD run to score in the bottom of the first.
However, USF didn't wait long to overcome the mistake by plating a pair of runs in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead when
Nico Giarratano doubled in a run and came around to score three batters later on an error by the San Diego second baseman.
The lead would be short-lived, however, as San Diego evened it up at 2-2 in the next half inning on a two-out wild pitch by USF starter
Daniel Slominski (1-3), who wound up taking the loss after throwing five innings where he allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out five and walking one.
Despite the Dons having runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings, the score remained tied at 2-2 until the Toreros (18-6, 7-1 WCC) erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth with what would create the final margin. Jordan Abushahla and Colton Waltner each delivered RBI singles for San Diego, while an error on a sacrifice bunt by USF reliever Brenden Jenkins allowed another run to score, followed by a sacrifice fly by Hunter Mercado-Hood that gave the Toreros a 6-2 advantage.
After San Diego tacked on another unearned run in the bottom of the seventh, USF put together its final effort in plating two runs in the top of the eighth when Smoot delivered a two-out, two-run single that brought the Dons within three at 7-4.
A solo home run by Mercado-Hood in the bottom of the eighth was insurance as the Toreros closed it out from there.
The series will conclude on Sunday with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.
