HAYWARD, Calif. — The San Francisco State baseball team got back on track on Friday afternoon with a 10-3 win it its series opener versus Cal State East Bay at Pioneer Baseball Field.
- SF State improves to 18-8-1 and moves back into second place in the CCAA at 16-8. CSUEB drops to 14-20 overall and 11-17 in CCAA play.
- The top of the order carried the Gators offense. Jackson Kritsch went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a sacrifice hit while Jack Harris went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a walk. Kritsch and Harris both have four-game hitting streaks.
- Harley Lopez, who batted fifth, went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI, and a pair of walks.
- Jason Hare went 1-for-3, walked, and was hit by a pitch. The Gators' catcher scored all three times he reached base.
- The Golden Gators are the No. 5 team in the latest NCBWA West Region poll.
- SF State pitching has now given up 10 or more hits in seven of its last 10 games.
- The Gators have committed at least one error in their last 18 games.
- The Gators got on the board first in the third. With Harris and Hare both in scoring position thanks to passed ball, Kritsch brought Hare home with a sacrifice RBI.
- The Gators were charged with an error to begin the bottom of the fourth. That led to Robert Lujan's game-tying RBI single back up the middle.
- SF State responded with a three-run fifth. Hare was hit by a pitch, Harris singled, and they both scored on Brady Dorn's two-run single to left center. Dorn later scored from third on Harley Lopez's groundout to third to make it 4-1.
- A two-out Gators rally in the sixth broke the game open. Hare walked, Harris hit a ground-rule double, and Kritsch delivered an RBI single through the left side. Dorn hit a routine ball to third but the ball that went under Pioneers third baseman Adam Hollar's glove, which allowed Harris to score.
- In the eighth, Jonah Gonzales reached on an error. Shaq Robinson reached on a fielder's choice on which Gonzales beat the throw at second, then both moved up on a Hare sacrifice bunt. Harris was intentionally walked but Kritsch came through with another RBI hit which scored two more to make it 8-1.The Pioneers got the two runs back in the bottom half of the inning. Higgins allowed a solo home run to Kyosuke Ushimaru and was chased by another Lujan RBI single.
- The Gators answered with two more in the ninth. Lopez hit a ball to right that was initially called a home run but, after discussion between the umpires, was ruled a ground-rule double. He scored easily on an Antone Self ball to third that resulted in a throwing error. Self reached second and Chris Smutny came in to pinch run, and later scored on Robinson's sac fly to center.
- Higgins (5-1) struck out six in seven and two thirds innings, which matched the longest start by an SF State starter this season. He allowed three runs, two earned, and issued just one free pass.
- Sebastian Selway struck out a pair in one and a third innings of work. He issued one walk but did not allow a hit.
- Blake Corsentino (3-3) last just five innings for the Pioneers. He allowed four earned runs on four hits. He walked three and hit one batter. Relievers Kyle Basch, Ransome Alexander, and Connor Fleharty each allowed two runs apiece over the final four innings.
The series continues as the Gators take on the Pioneers in a CCAA doubleheader on Saturday, April 13. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Pioneer Baseball Field. Be sure to follow San Francisco State baseball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @sfstatebaseball.
