Weekly Recap 

Softball accomplishes clean sweep; baseball, track and golf compete 

Amara Brooks / Sports Editor / The USD Vista 

Softball 

Over the weekend, softball had a clean sweep in a three-game series against Pacific. On Saturday, April 15, the Toreros hosted the Tigers in a doubleheader and earned an impressive 13-1 win after game one and a 3-1 victory for game two. With great plays at offense, the team had a season-best performance. By the top of the third inning, the Toreros had a 8-0 lead. Senior pitcher Madison Earnshaw performed well on the mound as she struck out only one batter, holding Pacific to just five hits and only one run. The final run score is attributed to junior Amanda Limon who had a two-out, two RBI double, before coming home herself and confirming the 13-0 score against the Tigers. The Toreros’ 16 hits in the game were the most made by the team since 2017. 

With both teams coming off an intense first game, game two started off slower with both teams not achieving their first hits until the third inning. Redshirt senior Alexia Rorculas got the ball rolling with a home run marking her first of the season. A wild pitch and a sacrifice fly allowed the Toreros to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. In game two, Earnshaw took the circle for the 105th time, making her fifth in all-time total appearances at San Diego. The team will next host Grand Canyon University before heading to Provo, Utah, for a three-game series against BYU. 

Baseball

USD baseball hosted Portland in a three-game series at Fowler Park last weekend. Friday proved to be a tough loss for the Toreros, following a close 8-7 loss to Portland. The team started the game taking the lead after a four run deficit, finishing the first inning with a 5-4 lead. At the top of the second inning Portland challenged the Toreros again with a two-run homer, but first-year Angelo Peraza delivered a RBI single to tie the score 6-6. After a few innings and a run by sophomore Justin DeCriscio, the Toreros were just a run short and ultimately fell to the Pilots. 

Despite another early lead from the Toreros, the team fell short again in Saturday’s game two with a 9-5 loss. The Pilots pushed the game in their favor at the top of the second inning with a four-run second and a three run homer placing them at a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Ariel Armas had his first college home run, followed by a bases- loaded walk from first-year Jack Gurevitch. 

During the third game in the series the Toreros made “Fowler Magic” when they pulled off an impressive 7-6 victory after scoring three times in the bottom of the ninth. With one out in the inning the Toreros were trailing behind by two runs. Junior Kevin Sim slammed a powerful ball into left center field, plating two runners and tying the score 6-6. Gurevitch came up to bat and followed with a RBI single which brough Sim home to secure the win. 

Sunday’s game marked the Toreros fifth comeback victory after trailing by three or more runs. The team will next host San Francisco in a three game series in Fowler Park this coming weekend. 

Track and Field

On April 14, track and field went to Long Beach to attend the two-day Beach Invitational. Sophomore Daniella Hubble had a first place finish in the 3000m steeplechase on day one; on day two, she led the Toreros to a ninth place finish in the 1500m. Hubble’s 1500m time was a season-best time of 4:50.23. First-year Lizzie McVey competed in the 800m for the first time in college, taking 33rd place with a time of 2:31.05 and winning her heat First-year Maggie Duba led the Toreros in the 800m and shaved two seconds off her previous time with a mark of 2:23.37 and a 26th overall finish. 

Sophomore Jake Coleman had a record-setting showing in the 10,000m, finishing by over 12 seconds faster with a time of 31:08.31 and finishing sixth overall. The team is now preparing to head to Irvine at the end of the month to compete in the Steve Scott Invitational. 

Golf 

USD golf had a victorious finish at the El Macero Classic, with a tie in first place from junior Andi Xu. This win marked the Toreros third of the season. Together the team totaled a tournament best of 850 strokes, placing them 14 under par and finishing first amongst 20 teams. Junior Kelvin Si finished in ninth after a solid performance with a five-under 211. The Toreros will compete in the West Coast Conference Championships at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Washington on Thursday, April 27.