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SAN JOSE, Calif.—The Dons scored six times in the seventh inning to take what should have been a commanding five-run lead over San Jose State but an eight-run response that includes four walks and a hit batsman hurt them as they dropped the contest 11-8 on Tuesday night.
 
"We were down 3-1, battled back, extended the inning," San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano said. "We're up 8-3. It's a pretty commanding lead in this ballpark and then we give up eight. We walk four guys in the inning, we drop a fly ball. It should have never gotten that close.
 
"That's how we've been pitching the last few days. It's very disappointing."
 
In the seventh, the Dons appeared to take control of the game. After Ross Puskarich led off with a single, Kyle Nixon walked and Matt Sinatro singled to load the bases. Nico Giarratano walked to bring home the tying run and that set it up for Derek Atkinson.
 
The senior then crushed a 1-0 pitch to deep left center that scored all three runs and give the Dons a 6-3 lead. Henrdiks then followed it up with a double of his own to bring home Atkinson and put USF up by four.
 
The Dons would tack on another to make it an 8-3 game.
 
But San Francisco let San Jose State back in the game. After a leadoff triple, Matt Narahara walked the next two to load the bases. Brock Larson came into the game and gave up an RBI single, a hit  by pitch, and walked two batters, which cut the Dons lead to 8-7.
 
Mack Meyer came into the game and got Dillian Smith to hit a fly ball to left but it bounced off the gove of Cody Snider, which allowed two to score, and put San Jose State up 9-8.
 
"They're just nervous," Giarratano said of the pitching staff. "They're just trying too hard, trying to do too many things. Sometimes you get like that. Things don't go real well and you kind of get in your own mind.
 
"It got away from us."
 
Despite the struggles of the pitching staff, the Dons lineup has continued to produce and has scored 33 runs through the first five games (6.6 runs per game). The Dons have been getting contributions all throughout the lineup and it is apparent by the six players with at least three RBI on the young season.
 
"Offensively, I like what we're seeing," said Giarratano.
 
San Francisco will be back in action on Friday when they open a three-game set at Tulane.
 
The Dons got on the board first when they got a walk to Brendan Hendriks, a hit by pitch for Dominic Miroglio, and a walk to Puskarich gave them bases loaded with no outs. Zack McCoy, who picked up three RBI against No. 12/5 Texas Tech, hit a sacrifice fly to right that brought home Hendriks to give the Dons a 1-0 lead.
 
In the second inning, Shledon Lee retired the first two batters and then got into some trouble. Mitch Ravizza, Chris Williams, and Joe Stefanki had consecutive hits to load the bases with one out and Dillian Smith hit a soft grounder to short but the Dons were unable to turn two, which scored Ravizza to tie the game at one.
 
Two batters later, Andre deWatteville ripped a single into left that plated two more and gave the Spartans a 3-1 lead.
 
Lee struggled in his second straight outing and lasted only 1.1 innings while allowing three runs.
 
"He got out of some trouble he created himself in the first but then gave up four hits in a row," Giarratano said. "He's pressing. He's trying to help us get in the right direction."
 
USF responded in the fourth when after back-to-back singles from Atkinson and Hendriks, Miroglio singled down the leftfield line to bring home Atkinson and make it a 3-2 game.
 
NOTES:
Brendan Hendirks continues is torrid pace and picked up his fourth multi-hit game of the season… he now has at least two hits in six of his last seven games dating back to last season… Derek Atkinson picked up his fifth double of the season and is on pace for 54 doubles this season… Dominic Miroglio got the start behind the plate and showed off his arm by throwing out two would-be base stealers on Tuesday… redshirt freshman Sam Granoff made his first appearance and was impressive when he started a 1-4-3 double play and went one shutout inning.