LA JOLLA, Calif. — The San Francisco State baseball team used a six-run fifth inning to take the series finale, 7-5, at No. 7 UC San Diego and split the CCAA-opening four-game series.

Down 4-0, SF State (2-6/2-2 CCAA) scored seven unanswered runs with a huge six-run fifth inning and another run in the sixth.

Jason Hare started the fifth with a single back to pitcher Jonah DiPoto (1-1). DiPoto got the next two batters to fly out but Harley Lopez's double down the right field line scored Hare. Jack Harris took a 2-0 pitch deep to right field for a two-run shot, his second home run in as many days, and cut the Tritons (6-3/2-2 CCAA) lead to 4-3. The inning stayed alive thanks to a fielding error and a dropped fly ball in center field allowed two runs to score. Jordan Abernathy, who reached on the error, moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch and scored on Antone Self's single to center field. That chased DiPoto, who surrendered nine hits in four and two thirds innings. Lopez added an insurance run in the sixth with his first homer as a Gator.

Jeff Piver (1-0) picked up the win and struck out three in six innings of work. Grant Vogenthaler was charged with a run and Jordan Yrastorza recorded the final two outs to pick up the save.

The Tritons scored the first four runs of the game, all in two-out situations. UCSD went ahead early with a two-run first inning thanks to Zander Clarke's homer with Tyler Durna on base. The Tritons added another run in the third. Durna led the inning off with a double and later scored on a wild pitch. In the fourth, Shay Whitcomb doubled home Nick Kitzmann. In the ninth, Tyler Durna reached on a fielder's choice and gave way to pinch runner Kyle Selor, who scored on Clarke's single back up the middle to make it 7-5.

Up Next
SF State returns home to Maloney Field for a four-game series with Stanislaus State. Game one is set for 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23 followed by a doubleheader on Feb. 24 and the finale on Feb. 25. Live stats and video will be available from the Tritons and in-game updates will also be available on Twitter at @sfstatebaseball.