THE RUNDOWN
No. 17 DBU led for the majority of the ballgame on Saturday afternoon at Horner Ballpark, but a six-run ninth inning from San Diego was enough to even the series as the Toreros defeated the Patriots 8-4.
 
San Diego jumped out with the lead in the second inning, scoring on an RBI double down the right-field line from Dustin Allen.
 
The Patriots scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the second, starting with an Alex Pendergast single to right center, sending Tom Poole home. Next, Chayton Krauss would give DBU the lead on an RBI single up the middle.
 
Continuing the scoring, Michael Dattalo grounded out to second but allowed Luke Heefner to score and give the Patriots another run. Finishing the inning, Miguel Santos connected on an RBI single up the middle to hand DBU a 4-1 advantage.
 
San Diego added a run in the top of the third but was mostly held in check by Jaron DeBerry and Conner Mackay. In his start, DeBerry pitched 5.0 innings, allowed two earned runs, and registered four strikeouts. In relief duty, Mackay was stellar, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings and recording three strikeouts.
 
With a 4-2 lead going into the top of the ninth, the Patriots' handle on the game began to slip. In Nick Wilson's appearance, San Diego took advantage of an error, one walk, and three hit batters en route to the Toreros taking an 8-4 lead.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, DBU could not spark a rally, and the Patriots dropped just their second game of the season on Saturday afternoon.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Saturday marked the first time since March 7, 2023, that DBU has lost when taking a lead to the ninth inning.
- It took 10 games for the Patriots to finally lose at Horner Ballpark.
- Ethan Mann reached base safely in his 31st consecutive game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3 – Tom Poole finished the contest with three hits in four at-bats.
4 – The Patriots scored all four on their runs in the second inning.
.500 – DBU's offense hit .500 (3/6) with runners in scoring position.
 
UP NEXT
DBU Baseball aims to earn a series win over San Diego on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Horner Ballpark.
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