THE RUNDOWN
No. 17 DBU bounced back from a tough loss with an impressive 16-4 victory over San Diego at Horner Ballpark on Sunday. An eight-run third inning established an early lead for the Patriots that aided them to victory in the series-clinching win.
 
Wasting no time getting ahead, Miguel Santos began the first with an RBI double to left center. Grant Jay continued to stay hot on Sunday and started the day with an RBI single to right field, putting DBU up 2-0. Closing the first, Joey Nerat brought home the third run of the inning in his first start of the year with a powerful single out to right field.
 
San Diego countered in the third with a solo home run over the right field wall, but Jay immediately countered in the bottom of the inning with yet another shot over the batter's eye in center field to extend the lead.
 
Jay's blast sparked an explosive eight-run inning from the Patriots, which continued with an RBI single from Michael Dattalo. Two more runs would be scored after Chayton Krauss and Nathan Humphreys were walked with the bases loaded.
 
The lead would be stretched to 9-1 after a two-RBI double from Tom Poole into right field. DBU added their final two runs in the inning with Humphreys scoring on a wild pitch and Poole getting home on a perfectly executed double steal.
 
In the following inning, the Patriots continued to run up the score starting with Luke Heefner booming his first home run of 2024. Poole and Santos would continue to boost their stat lines with RBI singles, putting DBU up 14-1 through four innings of play.
 
Luke Pettitte earned his first win on the mound this season, pitching 3.0 innings in the start, allowing just one earned run, and registering three strikeouts. Jerrod Jenkins was the first to relieve Pettitte, going 3.0 innings as well, allowing two earned runs and recording three punchouts versus the Toreros.
 
After Jenkins' exit, River Ridings and Jace Russell both pitched a scoreless inning each. Jace, the brother of DBU star Zane Russell, was excellent in his collegiate debut on the mound, registering two strikeouts versus the three batters he faced.
 
The Patriots added their final two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a Nerat RBI double up the middle and an RBI off a Cody Grebeck walk.
 
Myles Martinez closed out San Diego with two strikeouts, clinching the series with a 16-4 win.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Patriots earned their third series win of the season.
- It was the fifth time this season that DBU's offense surpassed double digits.
- Joey Nerat finished with two hits and a pair of RBI in his first start of 2024.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
7 – DBU has scored seven or more runs in an inning five times through 15 games.
30 – Grant Jay crushed his 30th career home run in the win, moving him up to 10th all-time in DBU's Division I era.
10 – The Patriots faced 10 different Torero pitchers on Sunday afternoon.
 
UP NEXT
DBU Baseball welcomes No. 3 TCU to Horner Ballpark on Tuesday for a Top 25 Showdown. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm. Read Full Article