University of San Francisco Athletics

Box Score

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SAN FRANCISCO—The Dons coughed up a lead in the ninth inning but were able to rally in their half of the inning as Matt Sinatro hit a walk-off single to center to give them the 8-7 West Coast Conference win over BYU on Thursday afternoon.
 
"It was very similar to last week where we took the lead 3-0, this week we took the lead 4-0 and we gave up five in the third," San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano said. "The difference this week was our offense was able to battle back and defensively we caught the ball. We didn't give extra runs."
 
San Francisco (10-9, 1-3 WCC) went into the ninth leading 7-6 but had the lead slip away when BYU's Brennon Lund singled to left to drive home the tying run and forcing the Dons to try to win in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Michael Eaton singled to lead off the inning and was bunted to second by Ryan Matranga. After a walk to Harrison Bruce, Sinatro came the plate, having already had a hit to put the team ahead in the game. On a 1-0 count, he rapped a single to center to score Eaton to give the Dons their second walk-off victory of the season.
 
"I'm really happy with what we did offensively today," Giarratano said. "We got eight runs, we put together some hits. All through the lineup, we were good. Happy with the offense, happy with the defense."
 
The Dons are now 9-0 when either tied or leading by the sixth inning.
 
Abe Bobb, who lasted six innings after allowing six runs on nine hits, was relieved by Ben Graff and he shut the door on BYU (7-16, 0-4). The senior left-hander went two shutout innings and gave up one hit.
 
"He's gotten some big outs for us," Giarratano said of Graff. "He was great again today."
 
It was the team's first WCC win of the season and the Dons will return to action on Friday against BYU (7-16, 0-4) for the second of the three-game series.
 
The Dons went back to the lineup that resulted in seven runs in against San Jose State and it worked again early against BYU.
 
In the first inning, Nico Giarratano singled and Zack Turner walked to put two on with two outs for Brendan Hendriks and he promptly doubled to deep center to drive in two and give USF a 2-0 lead. The Dons added to the total in the second on a two-RBI double by Bradley Zimmer.
 
Hendriks went 3-for-4 with two RBI and it was his first three-hit game since Mar. 10, 2012 against Fresno State.
 
"I thought he was good. I thought he was good last week against Gonzaga," Giarratano said. "If he can get it going offensively, we're going to be a force."
 
BYU responded the following inning with a five-run burst in the third. The Cougars scored on a walk and a fielder's choice to cut the USF lead to 4-2 and that's when they got their big hit. Kelton Caldwell took a 1-1 pitch to left center to drive in two and tie the game at four. BYU took a 5-4 lead one batter later when Jarrett Jarvis hit a double off the wall, scoring Caldwell.
 
The Dons retook the lead in the fifth.
 
With runners at first and third with one out, Michael Eaton hit a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game at five. Later in the inning, the Dons had the bases loaded for Sinatro and he hit a high hopper up the middle that BYU shortstop Hayden Nielsen kept from going into center but it plated Hendiks. Zimmer came up and was hit to drive in another and it gave USF a 7-5 lead.