University of San Francisco Athletics

Box Score  
 
Follow the Diamond Dons: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
 
SAN FRANCISCO—Family and friends joined the six graduating seniors prior to the Sunday afternoon game for Senior Day and the players set the tone as they led the way in the Dons' 8-4 victory over UC Santa Barbara.
 
Abe Bobb, Zack Turner, Houston Hibberd, Michael Kathan, Ben Graff and Jesse DeLong each played their final Sunday on the Hilltop and were instrumental in the win. Bobb, Graff, DeLong and Hibberd combined to go the distance on the mound. Turner picked up two hits and scored twice. Kathan had a key RBI single late in the contest.
 
Each senior had a chance to shine one last time and took advantage of the opportunity.
 
"Today's all about the seniors," San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano said. "It's all about what they've put in and what they mean to this program. It's great to see them all have the opportunity to do what they do today."
 
The Dons will wrap up the 2014 season on Monday against California at 2 p.m. at Benedetti Diamond.
 
With runners at first and second, Justin McCullough singled over the leaping Gauchos second baseman to bring home Turner and gave the Dons a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Dylan Parks singled home two and San Francisco took a three-run lead.
 
The RBI were the first of Parks' USF career. Turner went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
 
UC Santa Barbara scored single runs in the third and fourth innings to cut the USF lead to one but the Dons responded in the bottom of the fourth. With runners at second and third, Parks came to the plate and hit a bouncer up the middle and beat out an infield single, which allowed one to score and made it a 4-2 game.
 
Bobb went into the fifth inning with a 5-2 lead but UC Santa Barbara got back-to-back singles to begin the inning and after a fly out the Gauchos attempted a double steal but McCullough threw out Joey Epperson at third for the second out. Bobb got Robby Nesovic to fly out to end the inning and keep it a three-run contest.
 
Bobb went 6.2 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, in his final outing for the Dons. He picked up his 18th career victory, which moves him into sole possession of fourth place on the Dons all-time wins list.
 
Graff, DeLong and Hibberd went the final 2.1 innings and allowed one run on three hits.
 
With the Dons leading 5-3 in the eighth, they added some insurance runs. Turner led off the inning with a single and was promptly brought home on a booming double by Bob Cruikshank to give USF a 6-3 lead. With two on and one out, Kathan singled to center to bring home another. USF tacked on a third on an infield single by Bradley Zimmer and a throwing error by Tyler Kuresa to put the Dons up 8-3.
 
"It was great to see how we were able to play today," Giarratano said. "That's a good team that we beat today and this is what we're really capable of."