Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO –  Coming off a four-game sweep of the Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles last weekend, the SF State Gators kept their winning ways going as they defeated the No. 18 UC San Diego Tritons (25-12, 21-8 CCAA) this afternoon at The Swamp at Maloney Field in the first game of this weekend's four-game series.
 
Bryce Cherry started the scoring for the Gators, who have won five straight, with a one-out two-run single through the right side that brought in Fernando Escobar and Dillon Meyer to give the Gators a 2-0 lead. 
 
The Tritons, who are currently in third place in the CCAA, tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run fourth inning.  Nick LaFace and Justin Rahn had back to back lead-off singles to start the fourth.  With one out, Jack Larsen singled to load the bases for Brett Levy.  Levy was hit by a pitch to bring in LaFace.  Brandon Shirley hit a sacrifice fly to left center to bring in Rahn to tie the game at 2-2.
 
UC San Diego took a 4-2 lead in its half of the sixth inning.  Larsen, who finished 4-for-5 with a run scored, had a one out single.  He went to third on a single by Levy.  Shirley doubled home Larsen.  Still with one out, Tyler Howsley reached on an error that scored Levy to give the Tritons a 4-2 lead. 
 
The Gators came right back and tied the game in their half of the sixth inning.  Meyer, who finished the day scoring three times and two stolen bases, led off the inning reaching on an error.  He went to second on his 11^th stolen base of the season.  He scored on a Cherry double to left center.  Carter Loud walked and then Cherry went to third on a wild pitch.  Cherry scored on a two-out single to right field by Mark Lindsay to tie the game at 4-4.
 
The Tritons had a chance to retake the lead in the top of the seventh.  Erik Lewis had a lead-off single.  Troy Cruz was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs.  Taylor Wade (4-0) came in to pitch for the hosts.  The next Triton sacrificed the two runners over and then Rahn was intentionally walked.  Wade struck out the next batter and induced the last out to line out to Meyer in center field.
 
SF State took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh as the Gators had three hits on two errors and error to take a 7-4 lead.
 
Joe Chedid led off the inning being hit by a pitch.  He went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Escobar.  Meyer singled Chedid to third, which the senior outfield went to second on the throw.  With one out, Loud was intentionally walked to set the table for Grady Espinosa.  Espinosa drew a walk to give the Gators a 5-4 lead and keep the bases loaded with one out.  Lindsay then hit a two-run single through the right side and give the Gators a 7-4 lead.
 
The game remained 7-4 hosts until the Triton ninth. 
 
Cruz had a lead-off single.  He scored on a LaFace triple to left center.  Then with two outs, Michael Mann hit a sacrifice fly to center field to cut the Gator lead to 7-6.  Larsen hit a two-out double down the left field line.  Levy was hit by a pitch to put the tying and go ahead runs on first and second, but the Gators' Cory Davis struck out the final Triton batter to preserve the Gator 7-6 win.
 
With the win, the Gators improve to 18-21 overall and 13-16 in the CCAA.  They are now in sixth place in the conference, two games out of fifth place. 
 
Justin Donatella (6-2) recorded the loss for the Tritons as he went 6.1 innings, giving up 8 hits, 6 runs (four earned), striking out five and walking one. 
 
The Tritons had 13 hits on the day paced by Larsen's four.  Cruz and LaFace each had two hits apiece for the visitors.
 
Wade picked up the win in relief, improving to 4-0.  The senior pitcher pitched two scoreless innings of relief, giving up no hits while striking out three and walking two.  Davis recorded his 10^th save of the season.
 
The Gators had 9 hits paced by Lindsay's three hits and three runs batted in.  Cherry also drove in three runs with two hits while Meyer scored three times.
 
The two teams will continue the four-game series tomorrow afternoon at noon, when they play a doubleheader at The Swamp at Maloney Field. The series will conclude this Saturday, April 19 at 11am with a single nine-inning game at The Swamp at Maloney Field.  

Box Score