San Diego, Calif. - Opening up their three-game series at Fowler Park against the Toreros of San Diego, the Tigers came up on the short end of a shutout, falling 8-0 on Friday, April 10. The Toreros' (19-13, 10-3 WCC) series opening win kept them atop the conference standings while the Tigers (7-25, 5-8 WCC) dropped their second-straight WCC contest.

Looking like his old self for much of the night, starter Jake Jenkins (1-6) gave the Tigers' a solid start to kick off their weekend in San Diego. However, it was not enough thanks to Toreros' starter David Hill (7-2) as the two-time WCC Pitcher of the Week award winner threw eight-shutout innings for San Diego. For 6.2 IP, Jenkins kept the Tigers in the game as he relinquished 11 hits while allowing just four runs.

Despite keeping the ball on the ground, Jenkins found himself trailing early as the Toreros struck in the bottom of the third for the first run of the game. Behind two infield singles and a bounding ball that found its way to left, San Diego put Pacific behind when Jerod Smith knocked in Colton Waltner from third. 

They would add to their lead in the sixth with an RBI single by Riley Adams as the Torero designated hitter grounded one up the middle and just under the glove of Tigers' second baseman Jimmy Gosano for the run-scoring hit.  

An inning later, San Diego knocked Jenkins from the game as a two-out, two-RBI single from Austin Bailey doubled the lead for the Toreros to 4-0. The hit was the first of the night for the Toreros' left field and kept Jenkins from recording the high-quality start for the Tigers. In relief, John Jaeger finished off the game and was charged with a handful of unearned runs in the eighth when a leadoff, two-base, throwing error helped the Toreros set up a four-run inning.

The Tigers had a few chances against Hill throughout the night with leadoff doubles in the second and seventh innings, but were unable to crack the defensive shell of the Toreros in support of Jenkins. In all, Hill allowed four hits to the Tigers and stranded runners in scoring position three-times throughout his eight innings of work while striking out 11 and walking one. 

Pacific was without its most potent bat in junior Gio Brusa as the slugging right fielder was a late scratch from the lineup. Moving into the two-hole in his place, freshman Justin Thaxton finished the night with two of the four hits as he went 2-for-4 with a single and one of the two leadoff doubles in the contest. 

The two teams meet again on Saturday night at 6:00 pm as the Tigers look to even the series with Will Lydon on the mound.