SAN DIEGO – San Diego used a strong start at the plate to secure a 14-4 victory over Missouri State Saturday evening at Fowler Park. The Toreros scored eight times in the first three innings, and Josh Hendrickson limited the Bears to a single run on four hits in 5.0 strong innings.

USD started aggressively, as leadoff man Max Jung-Goldberg stroked a solid single off Hayden Juenger on the freshman's first pitch of the game, before Shane McGuire added a hit and Cody Jefferis walked to set up a two-out, two-run triple by Ripken Reyes for an early 3-0 advantage.

The Toreros' No. 8 and No. 9 hitters—Jeff Houghtby and Connor Doyle—tormented MSU pitching throughout the night, beginning with back-to-back singles to start the second. Juenger nearly worked his way out of trouble, retiring Jung-Goldberg on a liner to center and Tora Otsuka on a strikeout. But two-out walks—two of 11 issued by MSU hurlers on the evening—to McGuire and Jefferis forced home the fourth USD run of the contest.

Walks to Reyes and Adam Kerner to open the third led to more trouble for the Bears. Doyle struck again with an RBI single off freshman lefty Ben Cruikshank, and Otsuka's squeeze bunt brought home a pair of Torero baserunners to extend the USD lead to 8-0.

Brooks Zimmerman sparked the Bears with a double to start the fourth, and Ben Whetstone snapped MSU's 23-inning scoreless drought with a two-out, RBI single to center.

MSU sliced further into USD's cushion with a three-run sixth, taking advantage of a trio of walks handed out by Torero relievers Noah Owen and Anthony Donatella. Mason Hull came through with the critical blow, belting a two-run double that narrowly missed clearing the wall in left to bring the Bears within four runs.

But the Toreros would respond immediately, scoring six runs over the next two innings thanks in large part to the generosity of MSU pitching and the bat of Ricketts. Three consecutive walks to USD hitters opened the sixth before Ricketts delivered a bases-clearing triple to highlight another four-run outburst. The freshman came through again in the seventh, lofting a two-out, two-run double just beyond the reach of a diving Collin Clayton in center.

Ricketts finished his night 2-for-3 with six RBIs, while both McGuire and Jefferis scored three runs after reaching in eight of their combined 10 plate appearances.

Juenger (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in his 2.0 innings. Cruikshank turned in 3.0 innings of relief, permitting two earned runs on just one hit, before fellow freshman Peyton Carson worked a perfect ninth for the Bears. Whetstone logged a 2-for-4 night to pace the MSU offense.

Hendrickson (2-0) earned his second victory in as many starts this season, striking out six Bears and walking two, before four USD relievers combined to keep the Bears at bay over the final four frames.

Missouri State will wrap up its stay in San Diego with a Noon contest against Fresno State Sunday (Feb. 24) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.