SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State baseball team split an absolute slugfest with Cal State LA on Saturday afternoon at Maloney Field. The Gators fell 17-14 and took the nightcap 10-5, guaranteeing at least a split of the series.
- SF State moves to 25-20 and back into fourth place in the CCAA standings at 19-16. Cal State LA moves to 21-24 overall and is now in a tie for seventh place at 15-20.
- Justin Johnson had four RBI, three of which came on a homer in game two. He leads CCAA players with 54 driven in.
- Six differnet Gators had a two-hit game in game one, and Daniel Santos had three hits, including a grand slam.
- Kyle Olimpia and Nicholas Allred had two-hit games in game two.
- Olimpia and Derek Laferriere both had stolen bases in game one, bringing the team's total to 39.
- Game one's combined 31-run affair lasted threes hours and 42 minutes.
- Saturday was the Gators' annual Vs. Cancer game with the Gators donning yellow shoelaces in a show of solidarity. Through the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's Vs. Cancer program, 50 percent of Vs. Cancer proceeds fund family support and child life programs in teams' communities across the country. The other 50 percent of Vs. Cancer proceeds help fund pediatric brain cancer research to save kids' lives. For more information, and how to donate, visit curethekids.org.
Game One
- The Golden Eagles went up 2-0 in the first, then the Gators went ahead on the Santos grand slam in the bottom of the first.
- It was apparent that fans would be in for a long one when Matthew Piotrowski answered with a grand slam of his own in the top of the second to put Cal State LA back in front.
- The Gators cut the lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the second on a Johnson sac fly.
- A trio of RBI singles by the Golden Eagles and in the third inning and a three-run homer by Kai Penuelas in the fourth grew the Golden Eagles' lead to 12-5.
- The Gators got a couple of runs back in the fifth, both of which were unearned, and got three more in the sixth to cut the lead to 12-10.
- Cal State LA extended its lead back to 14-10 in the seventh on a Marquez double that brought in a run. The relay in was misplayed, leading to another run.
- SF State came all the way back in the eighth to tie the game at 14-14. Andrew Silva doubled home a run, Anthony Alvarez tripled home a pair, and Laferriere doubled home a run to even things up.
- However, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases in the nith and struck for three runs, the final difference in the game.
- The Gators used six different pitchers. Starter Nathan Shinn lasted an inning and a third and was charged with six runs. Reliever Mickey Radanovich was also charged with six runs over two and a third innings of work. Silva (2-3), who started a first base, took the loss after allowing three runs in the ninth.
- Cal State LA used five pitchers. Holden Hungerford ended up with a no-decision after going four innings, giving up seven runs, five earned.
- Joel Martinez (1-1) gave up four earned runs over two innings but was the pitcher of record.
- Brent Jacques picked up his second save with a scoreless ninth for the Golden Eagles.
Game Two
- Piotrowski's RBI double in the first put the Golden Eagles up 1-0 early but the Gators answered quickly with a run in the bottom of the first.
- The Golden Eagles went back up in the top of the second on a pair of RBI doubles that extended the lead to 4-1.
- The Gators' number nine batter, River Diaz De Leon came up huge in the bottom of the second with an RBI single up the middle and again in the fourth, when he plated a run on a groundout to cut the deficit to 4-3.
- The Golden Eagles tacked on an insurance run in the fifth on an infield single by Marquez but the Gators would burst out in the sixth.
- Allred ripped a triple down the right field line that tied the game at 5-5.
- SF State then took the lead thanks to consecutive hit by pitches that loaded the bases, then brought in the go-ahead run. Moises Escobedo's first pitch was wild and a run scored, then Justin Johnson unloaded on his second pitch for a three-run homer that put an exlcamation point on things with the Gators up 10-5.
- After the bullpen was taxed in game one, Ian Sullivan gave the Gators five innings of work. He gave up five runs on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout.
- Anthony Alvarez (3-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings. He struck out four with just one hit and a walk.
- Golden Eagles starter Eric Navarrette (2-2) was one of three pitchers to take the mound for Cal State LA. He gave up six runs on 10 hits over five and a third innings of work, though he did strike out five.
- Miles Halligan was charged with three runs on no hits and did not record an out.
- Escobedo, who gave up the Johnson homer, was charged with one run in two thirds innings of work.
The two teams wrap up the series on Sunday, April 28 at Noon. Prior to the game, SF State will honor its seven seniors in a pregame ceremony beginning at 11:30 a.m. The game will be broadcast on the
CCAA Network with live stats also available at
sfstategators.com.
