SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The San Francisco State baseball team dropped it series opener 6-3 on Friday night at Fiscalini Field. The Golden Gators, the No. 4 team in the NCBWA West Region poll, were forced to head south for the four game-series due to inclement weather in the Bay Area.
- The Gators (16-6-1/14-6 CCAA) were no-hit for seven innings. Brady Dorn's single to shallow right field in the eighth broke up the combined no-hitter. Jackson Kritsch roped a ball back up the middle in the ninth for the Gators' only other hit of the night.
- Despite being no hit through seven, the Gators managed to reach base, thanks in large part to 10 drawn walks. The Gators stranded 10 however, including runners at the corners in the second, Dorn stranded at third in the sixth after reaching second with no outs, and on the corners again in the eighth.
- Jack Harris saw his 10-game hit streak come to an end.
- The Coyotes' (11-22/8-13 CCAA) 16 hits were tied for the most allowed this season by Gators pitchers. SF State pitching has now given up 10 or more hits in five of its last seven games. However, SF State did not issue a walk.
- The Gators have committed at least one error in their last 14 games.
- The Coyotes jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never looked back. AJ Barraza led the game off with a single and stole second, then scored two batters later on Gabe Chavez's double to left center. Chavez later scored on a potential double play ball that the Gators settled for one out on.
- SF State got a run back in the bottom of the first. Jackson Kritsch and Harley Lopez both walked. Kritsch moved up on a fly-ball out and scored when Riley Cleary walked. Lopez was in motion and catcher Sergio Rey came up throwing and threw the ball into the outfield.
- CSUSB added on in the third with RBI singles from Chavez and Shawn Porthan.
- In the sixth, a would-be Coyotes sac fly turned into a dropped fly ball, which would have scored a run anyway and made it 5-1 in favor of CSUSB.
- Jason Hare grounded sharply to third base against reliever Zaine Mendoza to cut the lead to 5-2 in the seventh.
- Richard Castro's two-out single in the eighth pushed the lead back to four.
- Jack Harris grounded into a fielder's choice and an errant throw on the attempted double play turn allowed Dorn to score to cut the deficit to 6-3.
- Jack Higgins (4-1) threw 106 pitches in five and one thirds innings. He struck out a career-high seven but was charged with five runs on a dozen hits. He avoided further damage in the fourth when got Richard Castro swinging with the bases loaded to end the inning.
- Luis Salinas made his second appearance of the season and threw two and a third innings of relief. He allowed an inherited runner to score, as well as a run in the eighth.
- Daniel Jimenez faced one batter in the eighth and struck him out.
- Caden Chilress pitched a scoreless ninth with a pair of strikeouts.
- Ryan Kurtz (1-0) was lights out for the Coyotes and didn't allow a hit in 100 pitches. He struck out eight, including the side in the fourth, and walked four. Zaine Mendoza entered in the seventh and threw 17 pitches, just six for strikes. He allowed a run and recorded just one out. Andres Quinones came in and got a pair of popups in the seventh before allowing a run in the eighth. Jackson Gilmore earned the save and pitched a scoreless ninth. He faced the minimum thanks to a game-ending double play.
The series continues as the Gators take on the Coyotes in a CCAA doubleheader on Saturday, April 6. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Fiscalini Field. Be sure to follow San Francisco State baseball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @sfstatebaseball.
