SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State baseball team earned the series sweep of Cal State San Marcos on Sunday with a 7-6 walk-off victory.
- The Gators were outhit 13-7 with seven different Gators collecting hits.
- Sunday wasn't the cleanest day defensively for the Gators, who committed a season-high five errors.
- Head Coach Tony Schifano earned his 101th career victory. Schifano is just two games away from matching Al Figgone as fifth on the all-times wins list.
- Both teams had opportunities early. CSUSM's Emilo Luna reached on an error to begin the game and later advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. However, Gators starter Riley Cleary worked out of the jam and got a strike out looking and fly out to end the inning with no damage. In the bottom of the first, Jonah Gonzales walked and stole second. The Gators put runners on the corners with Jackson Kritsch's infield single. Kristch stole second with two outs but a groundout ended the rally.
- In the fourth, a misplayed ball in right field got Joseph Bahna to third and put Cougars on the corners with one out but Ethan Ellis grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
- In the fifth, another Gators error set up first and second with one for the Cougars but Cleary got another fly ball out. Then, the Gators offense came alive. With one out, Rudy Aguilar, Gonzales, and Nick Upstill all walked. Kritsch got the Gators on the board with a fielder's choice RBI and Trevor Rogers followed with a two-run double to right center that gave the Gators a 3-0 lead.
- The Cougars got to the Gators bullpen in the seventh. Griffin Teisher greeted reliever Theo Dopkins with a home run to right. Dopkins issued a walk, then got Niko Diaz swinging. Austin Morerg came in for Dopkins but gave up an RBI double. Moberg was helped out of the inning thanks to Marco Salvetti's catch in right field and throw to third that cut down Demetrius Freeman trying to tag up on the play.
- The Gators went quietly in the bottom of the seventh and things began to look bleak in the eighth. The Cougars tallied three consecutive singles and racked up five hits in the frame for a four-run eighth. Jack Reitsma got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts but not before giving up a two-run double.
- Kyler Crone began the eighth inning with a four-pitch walk but the Gators again went down in order.
- SF State avoided further damage in the ninth when Jason Hare applied a tag at home on a fielder's choice.
- Things unraveled for the Cougars in bottom of the ninth. Hare and Marco Salvetti singled, and Gonzales walked. A run scored when Nick Upstill reached on an error, and the Gators pulled to within a run when Kyler Crone wore a 2-2 pitch. Reliever Colby Lane entered and threw a wild pitch that allowed Gonzales to score and tie the game. Another wild pitch from reliever Cole Tague nearly resulted in another run but the ball bounced off the backstop and the Cougars were able to tag Upstill at the plate. Thaddeus Wilson reloaded the bases with a walk but Richie Rios fouled out to end the inning.
- In the tenth, reliever Luis Salinas gave the Gators their first true 1-2-3 inning on defense since the second inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Salvetti drew a four-pitch walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. The Cougars elected to intentionally walk freshman Jarrett Brannen in hopes of a double-play ball but Gonzales made them pay with a walk-off single through the left side that plated Salvetti.
- Cleary was forced to settle for a no decision. He struck out five and did not allow a run in six innings.
- Six Gators came out of the bullpen but were less effecitve, allowing all six runs. Salinas (1-0) picked up the win in an inning and two thirds work.
- The Cougars got four and two thirds innings from starter Garrett Apker. Five relievers appeared, two of whom did not record an out. Tague (0-1) took the loss.
The Gators next head to UC San Diego for a four-game series beginning Friday, February 28. The Tritons are ranked No. 4 in the NCBWA Top 25 and No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 25. The game will be streamed on the CCAA Network and live stats will also be available at sfstategators.com. Be sure to follow San Francisco State Baseball on Twitter and Instagram at @sfstatebaseball.
