Box Score
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The University of San Francisco Diamond Dons (7-8) played their best game of the season Tuesday, beating previously unbeaten Oregon State (15-1), 5-1 at Goss Field.
The Dons put forth a complete effort, getting solid pitching and timely hitting in a game they led from start to finish after scoring a pair of runs in the first inning for the fourth consecutive game. Zachary Turner drove in
Jason Mahood for the Dons first run, Turner's 13
th RBI of the season and the start of another multi-hit game for the junior from San Carlos, his eighth of the season.
Bradley Zimmer, hitting .458 over his last six games, plated left fielder
Mitchell Rowan for the second run on a fielder's choice ground ball to give USF a lead they would not relinquish.
Sophomore
Christian Cecilio started for the Dons, after being rained out of his usual turn Sunday at Missouri. The sophomore took the 2-0 lead into the bottom of the first and yielded just one hit in his four-plus innings of work, a single to lead off the fifth. Turner extended the Dons lead in the third, doubling to lead off the inning and scoring on a Zimmer double a batter later.
Cecilio gave way to senior
Haden Hinkle after giving up a hit to start the fifth. Working in his seventh game of the season, Hinkle went three innings, giving up one run, and holding a 3-1 Dons lead after six innings.
The Dons continued to put pressure on Oregon State, mounting a two-out rally in the seventh that culminated in a two-run single from first baseman
Brendan Hendriks, his second and third RBI of the game. Closer
Adam Cimber inherited the four-run lead and pitched two scoreless innings to close out the game, moving the Dons moved to within a game of .500 on the season. Hinkle picked up the win in relief to move to 4-0 on the season.
Of the four hits Oregon State managed, three were of the infield variety, a testament to the Dons pitchers who also struck out 11. The Beavers had a team batting average of .301 entering the game, and preseason All-American outfielder Michael Conforto, hitting .365 with four home runs, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.
The Dons rapped out 10 hits of their own, eight coming from Turner, Zimmer, third baseman
Bob Cruikshank and Hendriks in the middle of the order. The Beavers came in to the game with a 1.96 ERA and had not given up more than four runs in any of their previous 15 contests.
“This was a very exciting win for the program and our supporters,” said Head Coach
Nino Giarratano. “It was a good win for the Dons. We pitched well tonight, Cecilio carried the no-hitter in to the fifth and Hinkle and Cimber did their job. Offensively we were solid with Zimmer, Turner and Hendriks providing some offense. Hopefully this will give us some momentum going up to Gonzaga and starting conference play this weekend.”
The Dons conclude the two-game series with the Beavers tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.
Inside the Numbers
In his last two starts,
Christian Cecilio has gone 9.2 innings and yielded just three hit and one run while striking out eight.
Zachary Turner and
Bob Cruikshank have hit safely in 13 of the Dons 15 games this season.
Line of the Game
Christian Cecilio – 4.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Zachary Turner – 3-for-5, 2 runs, RBI
