The Rundown
BERKELEY, Calif. - The University of San Francisco Dons (20-13) baseball team lost in a slug fest against Cal (19-11) with both teams combing to hit seven home runs.
 
The Dons got the scoring started early as Jonathan Allen launched his fourth home run of the season on the first pitch of the ball game. After a Riley Helland walk, back-to-back doubles from Michael Perri and Ross Puskarich added to the USF lead to make it 2-0 at the end of the first inning.
 
USF would add to their lead in the third inning as Helland worked his second walk of the game to lead off the inning. Perri would drive in Helland with next at-bat, launching a double to the wall that drove in the designated hitter. Puskarich stepped into the box next and sent a no-doubter over the left field wall to make it 5-0, Dons.
 
Cal would answer in the bottom of the third inning, cutting the Dons lead to two with back-to-back home runs. The first was a two-run home run by the Pac-12's top hitter, Andrew Vaughn, followed by a solo home run from Jonah Davis. Alex Pham would come in relief of the starting pitcher, Daniel Slominski, and get the final out of the inning to keep the score at 5-3, USF.
 
The Dons would respond in the next inning with a pair of runs with two outs. Allen reached first on an error, followed a batter later with Perri getting hit by a pitch. Puskarich, for the second time of the game, would take advantage of the runners in scoring position with a double off the wall. Both Allen and Perri would come around to score to increase the Dons' lead to 7-2.
 
Cal wouldn't go quietly, answering the Dons' big innings with four unanswered runs, all on home runs. In the sixth inning Cal would cut the USF lead to two on a two out, two-run home run. The Golden Bears would come back in the seventh and hit back-to-back solo home runs to start the inning and bring the game level at 7-7.
 
Cal would get the deciding run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With runners on first and second, Haydn King came on in relief for Joey Steele. After a single, King walked the next batter with ball four getting passed Thomas McCarthy, allowing the runner from second to score.

USF are now 20-13 overall and will head down to Southern California to take on LMU in a West Coast Conference three-game series. First game will be on Friday, April 13 at 6 p.m.

COACHES CORNER
USF head coach Nino Giarratano

????| Tough one to stomach tonight. Back at it on Friday though ?????? pic.twitter.com/eeV9s7q3Q1

— USF Dons Baseball (@SFDonsBaseball) April 11, 2018

 
GAME STATS

• With their two runs to begin the game, USF has outscored opponents 28-17 in the first inning this season.
• The home runs by Allen and Puskarich are their fourth and third, respectively. That keeps them in the second and third in the category.
• Puskarich went for a season-high for a single game in both hits (4) and RBIs (5). He is now at 32 hits and 26 RBIs on the season.
• Perri went two-for-four on the night, driving in a run, which adds to his team leading tally in that category to 28.