HAYWARD, Calif. — Chris Smunty arrived at Pioneer Baseball Field on Sunday in a red polo shirt. A little odd given that the San Francisco State baseball team was playing the Cal State East Bay Pioneers, whose primary color is red. However, Smutny's polo was a nod to Tiger Woods' iconic red polo as Woods won his fifth Masters later that day. Fittingly, Smutny delivered the game-winning hit in Sunday's 3-2 come-from-behind victory at Pioneer Baseball Field.
SF State improves to 20-9-1 and moves back into second place in the CCAA at 18-9. CSUEB drops to 15-22 overall and 12-19 in CCAA play.
- The Gators have now won three of their six four-game CCAA series.
- SF State improved to 11-3 in one-run ballgames.
- Jack Harris reached base twice and has now reached base safely in seven consecutive games.
- SF State pitching allowed eight Pioneers hits, which snapped a five-game stretch in which the pitching staff had given up 10 or more hits.
- The Gators have committed at least one error in 18 of their last 20 games.
- The Golden Gators are the No. 5 team in the latest NCBWA West Region poll.
- The Pioneers scored twice off of Gators errors. Robert Lujan, who pestered the Gators all weekend, drove home the first run of the game in the sixth with a single to left off of Sebastian Selway that scored Kyosuke Ushimaru, who moved into scoring position after a fielding error that should have ended the inning.
- In the seventh, Matt Cantelme greeted Nate Jenkins with a single, then stole second. Cantelme scored easily on Steve Robinson's single to left that got past center fielder Jack Harris.
- The Gators offense broke out in the eighth after being held to just two hits through the first seven innings. Jason Hare ripped a double to left and Harris drove him home with a double to left center. Jackson Kritsch laid down a sacrifice bunt and Brady Dorn got the job done with a sacrifice fly to right.
- In the ninth, Robinson doubled through the left side and Smutny drove home the go-ahead run with a sharp single back up the middle.
- Joshua Romero struck out four and allowed just two hits over five innings of work but left the scoreless game with a no-decision.
- Selway and Jenkins each pitched an inning and allowed a run each.
- Dylan Madole (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings en route to the win. He allowed a pair of hits in the ninth but struck out the side.
- Dylan Dudley allowed just two hits and walked three over six scoreless innings for the Pioneers but also settled for a no-decision. Mark Woinarowicz (0-2) went the final three innings but allowed two in the eighth and the go-ahead run in the ninth.
Weather permitting, the Golden Gators return to Maloney Field for the first time in over two months when they host Cal State Monterey Bay April 18-20. The Gators have not been home since February 12 for a non-conference doubleheader versus Simpson and the second game of that doubleheader was called due to darkness. The series with the Otters is an important CCAA matchup as the Otters are third place behind the Gators in the standings. Be sure to follow San Francisco State baseball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @sfstatebaseball.
