SAN FRANCISCO – The USF baseball team got its four-game series with San Jose State started on the right foot on Friday afternoon, riding four-RBI games by Matt Sinatro and Dominic Miroglio and eight shutout innings from Thomas Ponticelli to a 15-0 victory over the Spartans at Benedetti Diamond.
 
Sinatro turned in a 3-for-5 day that included a double and two runs scored, while Miroglio went 2-for-4 with a double and his team-leading seventh home run of the year.
 
Ponticelli (4-1), the reigning WCC Pitcher of the Week, continued his dominance of late by throwing eight scoreless innings for the second straight start, limiting the Spartans to just four hits while striking out six. He was just one batter over the minimum through six innings in registering his fourth consecutive win in outings which he earned the decision.
 
"Thomas had command of all of his pitches today and was cruising with 80 pitches through eight innings," head coach Nino Giarratano said. "His last four starts have been really good.
 
"Sometimes it's hard for a pitcher to maintain concentration when he's staked to a big, early lead. It's a tribute to him that he kept his concentration. He was fabulous."
 
USF (25-26) took advantage of 10 walks issued by San Jose State pitchers and four hit batters.
 
The Dons inflicted most of their damage with a nine-run sixth inning in which they sent 15 batters to the plate. The rally was kick started by a Dan James single. After back-to-back base hits by Manny Ramirez, Jr. and Harrison Bruce, Sinatro ripped a two-run double to right center. Sinatro later added another run-scoring single to cap off the big inning.  
 
Michael Perri and Allen Smoot each added RBI singles in the sixth, while Miroglio and Ramirez each picked up RBIs after getting plunked with the bases loaded and Riley Helland worked a bases-loaded walk of his own. Bruce plated a run on a fielder's choice.
 
USF helped stake Ponticelli a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Miroglio lined a two-run double into the right center gap, scoring Sinatro and Nico Giarratano, who had both walked to lead off the inning.
 
James walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning and came around to score three batters later on Sinatro's bases-loaded RBI single. Giarratano later drove in Ramirez with a sacrifice fly that put the Dons up 4-0 at that point.   
 
USF added its final two runs in the seventh when Miroglio greeted relief pitcher Jack Veasey with solo home run deep into the netting in left center. Helland then singled and was driven in by Aaron Ping's RBI base hit.
 
"We had a lot of good at bats today," Giarratano said. "We didn't have a lot of hits early (two through four) but we took advantage of a lot of walks. I think we left only one runner at third base with less than two outs."
 
Left-hander Grant Young closed out the game, registering a strikeout and issuing a walk in the top of the ninth.
 
The Dons and Spartans continue the series on Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch from Benedetti Diamond. Right-hander Grant Goodman (3-4, 5.06) will take the ball for USF, while San Jose State is slated to send righty Jake Swiech (1-4, 5.73) to the mound.