SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — An early lead didn't hold up and a late comeback fell short as the San Francisco State baseball team fell 11-8 on Sunday afternoon at Fiscalini Field.
It was the first series loss of the season for the Gators (17-8-1/15-8 CCAA), who slipped to third place mere percentage points behind Cal State Monterey Bay despite a 19-0 loss by the Otters to Cal Poly Pomona.
- The series loss was the first series loss by the program dating back to March 23-25 of the season when the Gators dropped three of four to No. 14 CPP.
- The Gators hit two more homers, bringing their season total to 21. Antone Self hit his third of the series and Jack Harris hit his fifth of the year.
- SF State has now allowed 10 or more hits in seven of its last 10 games.
- The Gators have committed at least one error in their last 17 games.
- The Gators took an early lead thanks to a leadoff homer by Harris.
- SF State pushed the lead to 3-0 on Jason Hare's two-run double in the second.
- Cal State San Bernardino got runs back in the fourth and sixth innings off of starter Joshua Romero to cut the lead to 3-2.
- In the seventh, the Coyotes got to the Gators bullpen and took a 6-3 lead thanks to a pair of two-run doubles by Gabe Chavez and Richard Castro. The Gators threatened in the bottom half of the inning but left the bases loaded.
- In the eighth, Jackson Kritsch doubled and Jonah Gonzales walked, which set the table for a three-run homer to left by Self that brought the Gators wihin a run.
- The Gators bullpen couldn't get a shutout inning in the ninth though. Osuna and Csakan drove home a pair of runs with back-to-back RBI singles and they both scored on Shawn Porthan's two-out single to left field.
- Harris led off the bottom of the ninth and scored on another Kritsch double. He scored on a Jonah Gonzales single but that's as close as the Gators got.
- Romero settled for a no-decision. In six innings of work, he allowed two runs on six hits and struck out four. Despite the solid showing, his ERA actually rose to 1.93.
- SF State used five relievers — Sebastian Selaway (1-2), Dylan Madole, Luis Salinas, Luke Genova, and Caden Childress — who, combined, allowed nine runs.
- Coyotes starter Tyler Williams (3-6) allowed three runs and struck out five over seven innings of work en route to the win. Andres Quinones lasted just a third of an inning and gave up the three-run homer to Self. Jackson Gilmore earned the save despite allowing two runs in the ninth.
The Gators' next series is closer to home but still on the road, at Cal State East Bay, April 12-14. Be sure to follow San Francisco State baseball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @sfstatebaseball.