Box Score  SAN FRANCSICO---    The SF State Gators rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the visiting Central Washington Wildcats 7-5 in their regular season home opener.  Eric Watts pitched four scoreless innings of relief to keep the Gators in the ball game.  He struck out five batters and gave up just one hit while facing 13 batters. 
 
“Eric Watts was outstanding today,” said SF State Head Coach Mike Cummins.  “He came in relief and changed the momentum of the game.”  “We had quality at bats this afternoon with two out hits led by Thomas Wood and AJ Pianto.”
 
Central Washington jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Brandon Wang started the scoring with a one-out solo home run.  Then with two outs, Kyle Sani drove in two runs with a double to left center and then scored on a double by David Leid.
 
The score remained 4-0 Wildcats until the Gator half of the fourth inning.  Pianto was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  With two outs, Mark Lindsay drove in Pianto with a single to right field and he later scored on a single by Devon King to cut the deficit in half.
 
SF State scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth again with two outs.  Dustin Wold walked with two outs and advanced to second on a balk.  He scored on a single through the right side by Wood.  Wood later scored the tying run on a two-out single by Pianto.
 
The Gators took the lead in the sixth inning as they scored three runs on two hits and three errors.  Lindsay reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a single by King.  He later scored with two outs when Danny Souza reached on a fielding error. King then scored on a two-out single by Wilkins.   Souza scored when the Wildcats tried to stop the Gators' double steal attempt to increase the Gator lead to 7-4 going into the last three innings.
 
The Wildcats scored a run in the eighth inning to make it 7-5 Gators.  Then in the top of the ninth, Jimmy Ryerson opened the inning with a walk.  Branden Petrangelo then struck out the Wildcat next batter and he then induced the Central Washington batter to ground into a game ending double play.
 
Jack Jorgensen (1-0) picked up the win in relief as he pitched one scoreless inning, giving up just one hit and striking out one.  Petrangelo recorded his first save of the season by pitched 2.1 innings of three-hit ball, giving up one unearned run and striking out one. 
 
“Our bullpen did a great job for us this afternoon,” added the third-year head coach.
 
Brandon Rohde (0-1) recorded the loss for the Wildcats.  Brady Kincannon and Kyle Sani each had three hits to lead the Wildcat hitting attack.
 
The Gators (1-0) had 8 hits with Thomas Wood, Devon King and Sam Wilkins each going 2-for-4.  Lindsay scored twice for the Gators, who will return to the diamond this weekend for a three-game series in Fresno, Calif.  SF State will face Fresno Pacific, who is ranked 17^th in the nation in NAIA, beginning with a 6pm single game this Friday, February 10. 

Box Score