SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — Andrew Gauna drove in four runs and Gage Mestas delivered the walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning as San Diego defeated Loyola Marymount 9-8 on Saturday evening at USD Sports Center.

The Toreros, now 20-29, trailed 8-7 entering the bottom of the 10th. Loyola Marymount had taken the lead in the top half on a wild pitch that scored Whitton, but San Diego answered immediately. Martinez led off with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Button, and scored on Mestas’ single through the right side. Mestas then advanced to second on a throwing error by left fielder Whitton. After an intentional walk to Gauna, Jayden Lobliner singled to left center, scoring Mestas for the walk-off victory.

The Lions, who fell to 12-44, had rallied from an early deficit and appeared to seize control in extra innings. Loyola Marymount struck first in the top of the first when Zion Williams hit a solo home run to deep center field, his fifth of the season. The Lions added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Malone, and Jake Lyall homered to center in the fifth, making it 8-2.

San Diego chipped away. In the bottom of the third, Gauna doubled down the left-field line to score two runs, cutting the lead to 8-2. The Toreros added a run in the fifth on Mestas’ triple and a Gauna groundout, and two more in the sixth on a Gauna sacrifice fly and a Lobliner groundout, tying the game at 8-8.

Loyola Marymount answered in the top of the eighth. Whitton doubled and scored on a triple by Zach Wadas, giving the Lions an 8-7 lead. But the Toreros’ bullpen held. Caleb Sebek pitched 2.1 innings of relief, allowing one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts, while Jake Geis of Loyola Marymount threw four innings, allowing no hits but two earned runs with four strikeouts. Avery Laine started for the Lions and allowed four earned runs over 4.1 innings, striking out two.

San Diego’s Andrew Gauna, the game’s top star, went 2 for 4 with four RBIs. He also had a sacrifice fly. Gauna entered the game after going 1 for 4 in each of the previous two games against Loyola Marymount, wins of 7-3 and 17-8. Gage Mestas finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs and scored twice. Lobliner was 3 for 6 with two RBIs. For Loyola Marymount, Wadas went 2 for 5 with two RBIs, Lyall was 2 for 5 with a home run and an RBI, and Williams went 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI.

The game featured 24 combined hits, 13 by Loyola Marymount and 11 by San Diego. Both teams used multiple pitchers. Zachary DenDekker of Loyola Marymount recorded zero innings pitched but no earned runs.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the 10th after Loyola Marymount had taken the lead. The Lions had loaded the bases in the top of the 10th on a single by Lyall, a walk to Williams and a walk to Malone, but left them stranded when Wall flied out to deep center. San Diego’s defense held, and the Toreros’ offense capitalized. Mestas’ single and Lobliner’s walk-off hit capped a comeback that saw San Diego erase a six-run deficit.

The game marked the third consecutive meeting between the two teams, with San Diego winning the previous two: 7-3 on Friday and 17-8 on Thursday. Loyola Marymount had lost five straight entering Saturday, while San Diego had won two of three.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Loyola Marymount 0, San Diego 5. Interstat’s ELO system had projected San Diego with a 71.60 percent probability to win.