SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco baseball team came from behind again to win Tuesday, scoring seven unanswered runs and getting stout relief pitching to beat visiting Fresno State at Benedetti Diamond.
 
The Dons' comeback was almost over as quickly as it started. Luke Keaschall led off the bottom of the sixth with his third hit in as many at-bats, but a double play ball cleared the bases and put two outs on the board. Ryan Davis worked a two-out walk, then Jacob Westerman got walked as well. Nick Yovetich fell behind in the count, 0-2, but also earned a walk after a 10-pitch at-bat, loading the bases.
 
A wild pitch scored Davis, and Jacob Munoz filled the bases again with USF's fourth consecutive walk. A fifth straight walk issued to Kyle Knell forced home Westerman, making it 6-4. Darius Foster capped the comeback with the biggest hit of the game – a two-out, three-run double off the net in right-center field wall, clearing the bases and putting the Dons ahead at 7-6.
 
San Francisco (4-4) has trailed in every single game it's played this season, with all four of its victories coming after trailing. Tuesday, Fresno State (2-2) broke up a 0-0 tie with six runs in the top of the fifth. Nine of 10 batters reached safely to start the inning for the Bulldogs with four singles and five walks. The Dons used three pitchers in the inning, with Bo Jelinek finally ending the rally by inducing a double play. Three of the Bulldogs' six runs were walked in with the bases loaded.

"Nine walks in the game is difficult to take, especially with as many walks as we had in the inning when we gave up six (runs)," said San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano, "but there's something special about this team. There's something special about the resiliency of the team. We give up six and we get two solo home runs to make it 6-2, great at-bats by Munoz and Foster today. We put together great at-bats with two outs, it was fabulous. Another big hit by Foster, the double up off the net to take the lead. I'm really happy for him. He's worked hard and deserves the opportunity to help us win today."
 
Now trailing 6-0, San Francisco answered right back in the bottom half of the fifth. Munoz hit his first home run of the year over the high line on the right field wall to make it 6-1, and Foster followed with his own solo shot an out later to make it 6-2. Jelinek got an important shutdown inning in the top of the sixth, needing only five pitches to get the first two batters, then striking out Fresno State right fielder Nate Thimjon swinging to emphatically send USF back to the plate.
 
Jelinek (1-0) earned his first win of the year and the second of his career, throwing 2 2/3 shutout innings with two strikeouts, two walks and one hit allowed. Alex Pham struck out two in a scoreless eighth, and Jesse Barron earned his second save of the year with two strikeouts and a groundout in the ninth. Fresno State put runners on the corners with two leadoff singles in the ninth, but Barron shut them down after that with back-to-back Ks and a groundout to end the game.

"(Jelinek) gave us good innings," said Giarratano. "I thought we got good innings from (Trevor) Meisner, I thought (Owen) Stevenson was fine except for the walks, I thought Jelinek steadied the game. Anytime you can go to Pham, you've got a chance. If you can get to (Pham and Barron) on Tuesday, you've got a chance."
 
San Francisco next faces Stanford in a home-and-home four-game series starting Thursday. Games one and two will be at Stanford, with games three and four shifting to San Francisco and Benedetti Diamond. Fans can find live coverage links on USFDons.com.