University of San Francisco Athletics

Box Score

SAN JOSE, Calif. – On a chilly night at San Jose's Municipal Stadium, the University of San Francisco Diamond Dons (4-5) defeated San Jose State (2-6), 2-1, in what Dons Head Coach Nino Giarratano described as a “heart attack game.”
 
Senior Andrew Pulido started for USF, going three innings and yielding the Spartan's lone run on an RBI-single in the second inning with runners on second and third. Centerfielder Justin Maffei got a good jump on the ball and his strong throw was in time to get the trailing runner at the plate for the second out of the inning for what would turn out to be a pivotal play in the game.
 
After Pulido was relieved, and with the Dons defense playing one of it's best games of the season, the USF bullpen did not yield a hit in six innings of work. Lefthander Ben Graff recorded a scoreless fourth inning and Haden Hinkle tossed three more to keep the Dons in the game, the third time this season the big righthander has gone at least three innings without giving up a run.
 
The Dons pulled even with the Spartans in the sixth when Bradley Zimmer drew a bases loaded walk to drive in Maffei. Zimmer, off to a slow start after a productive sophomore season, worked the count full before picking up the RBI. The Dons first run came in an innnings without a hit. Instead, USF took advantage of three walks and a hit batter to pull even.
 
USF took the lead in the eighth on a Brendan Hendriks slow grounder with runners at the corners. Zimmer was forced out at second, but Hendriks was safe at first and Zachary Turner scored after drawing his second walk of the evening, putting the Dons ahead to stay.
 
The USF defense made spectacular plays all night long, including nice catches by Maffei and Zimmer in the outlfield. Jourdan Weiks ranged far to his left to get a glove on a hard grounder up the middle, then threw out the runner by a hair in the seventh, a highlight reel play.
 
In the eighth, with a runner at third and two outs, second baseman Jason Mahood was forced to wait to field a high chopper with the batter sprinting down the line. Mahood quickly positiioned himself and snatched the ball out of the air, getting off a quick throw that ended the innings and kept the Dons in front.
 
The defense worked until the very end, as third baseman Bob Cruikshank handled a rocket hit right at him by knocking it down recovering to make a strong throw to first to record the final out of the game.

Hinkle got the win, his second of the season. Cimber picked up his second save, his second six-out save of the season.
 
“Any win we get on the road is good for us, especially when we're having trouble scoring runs,” said Giarratano. “We had four takeaways on defense and I was really happy how we played defense for the most part. We battled tonight, we found a way to scrap and get two runs.”
 
The Dons travel to Arizona this weekend to take on the defending national champion Wildcats, Friday-Sunday. Listen live at USFDons.com.

Inside the Numbers

Haden Hinkle has pitcher 13.2 innings this season. With nine strikeouts and a .176 batting average against, the senior has bettered his exceptional .181 ERA from 2012.

Line of the Game

Ben Graff, Haden Hinkle, Sheldon Lee and  Adam Cimber (combined) - 6.0 IP, 0 hits, 3 strikeouts, Win, Save