TURLOCK, Calif. – The San Francisco State baseball team squared off against the nation's top-ranked team on Friday, but came up on the short end of a 6-1 decision to No. 1 Cal State Stanislaus in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game at Warrior Field in Turlock, Calif. With the loss, the Gators slip to 5-10 on the season and 1-8 in league play, while CSUS improves to 13-3 overall and 5-2 in the CCAA.
The two teams were locked in a pitcher's duel until the bottom of the fourth when the Warriors' Jake Oketani knocked a two-run single through the right side to score Jacob Thelen and Kyle Loretelli. The Gators soon threatened in their half of the fifth after Zack Anderson led off with a walk and advanced to third on Jake Moore's (Palisade, Colorado, Palisade, Cerritos College) first double of the year. However, CSUS starter Spencer Snodgrass struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam.
SF State tallied its lone run in the top of the seventh after Patrick Haugen (Cayucos, California, Cuesta College) drove in Moore with a two-out single to center, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, the Warriors quickly responded with a pair of scores in the bottom of the frame to go out in front, 4-1. CSUS then added a two-run homer by Oketani in the eighth to account for the final outcome.
Snodgrass (3-1) fanned eight batters in 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on six hits and one walk en route to the victory, while reliever Eric Federico held the Gators in check the rest of the way to earn his third save. Conversely, Spencer Kreisberg (Tigard, Oregon, Tigard, Los Medanos College) (1-3) pitched well in defeat, giving up just four hits and no walks while striking out five in five innings of work.
Williams and Moore each had two hits to lead the SF State offense.
The Gators and Warriors resume their weekend set on Saturday, March 7, shifting venues to Maloney Field for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. The two teams will then return to Turlock for a single game on Sunday with another 11 a.m. start.
