Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO— The University of San Francisco Dons (1-3) rallied from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the visiting SF State Gators 10-5 in a non-conference game at Benedetti Diamond. The Dons scored 10 runs on 17 hits led by Derek Atkinson's three hits. USF sent nine pitchers to the mound with Ben Graff (1-0) picking up the win.
Dillon Meyer put the Gators on the board first as he opened up the game with a lead-off infield single. He stole second for his team; his fourth stolen base of the season. Meyer advanced to third on a ground out by
Grady Espinosa. The junior outfielder scored on
Carter Loud's sacrifice fly to center.
USF took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Brendan Hendriks had a lead-off infield single and went to third on a one-out double by Bob Cruikshank. Still with one out, Ryan Matranga hit a two-run single to center to give the Dons a 2-1 lead.
SF State (3-9) came back and scored three runs in the top of the third inning on just two hits and two Dons' errors.
AJ Almaraz had a lead-off single and went to second when Meyer reached on an error. They both advanced a base on a sacrifice by Espinosa. Almaraz tied the game when he crossed home plate when Loud reached base on another error by the Dons. Meyer scored on a suicide squeeze by
Miguel Flores. With two outs,
AJ Pianto hit a single to center field to drive in Loud as the Gators took a 4-2 lead.
The score remained 4-2 Gators until bottom of the fifth inning as USF scored three runs capped by a Justin Maffei sacrifice fly as the Dons took a 5-4 lead. The visitors came right back and tied the game its half of the sixth inning on a
Randy Villa run scoring double down the left field line that drove in
Mark Lindsay. Lindsay had reached base on a lead-off single up the middle.
The Dons took the lead back for good as they scored two more runs in their half of the sixth inning. They added three more runs in the seventh inning with Zachary Turner's two-out two-run single ending the Dons' scoring to increase their lead to 10-5.
SF State used nine different pitchers pitch this afternoon with
Callan Dawson (0-1) recording the loss, pitching one inning, giving up three hits and two runs while walking one.
Paul Moeller started the game for SF State, pitching one scoreless inning giving up a hit and walking one.
The Gators had seven hits themselves with Pianto leading the way with two hits. Meyer scored twice with a stolen base.
SF State will return to the diamond this Friday, Feb. 22 with a 2:00 pm start for a CCAA game in Seaside, Calif., versus Cal St. Monterey Bay. The four-game series will then move to SF State's Maloney Field on Saturday, Feb. 23 with the first pitch scheduled for the doubleheader at 11:00 am. The series will conclude with a single nine-inning game back in Seaside on Sunday, Feb. 24.
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