SAN DIEGO — A close contest became a run-away one Sunday, as San Diego beat the University of San Francisco baseball team, 8-1, winning the series finale and earning a West Coast Conference series victory at Fowler Park.
 
The game was tied 1-1 through 4 1/2 innings, with both starters limiting the opposing team to only one run in the early goings. Grant Nechak (0-2) held the Toreros (22-8, 8-4 WCC) to only one run on one hit until the bottom of the fifth, when a passed ball moved two runners into scoring position, and back-to-back sacrifice flies brought them home to make it 3-1.
 
"Series swung yesterday when we didn't get it done when it was 6-5 with runners in scoring position in the eighth," said San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano. "We made the same mistakes today that we've made most of the year. Made a base running mistake, didn't hit with runners in scoring position."
 
San Francisco (14-18, 9-6 WCC) had chances to tie the game or go ahead before things got out of hand. It had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the fourth, but only scored one run on a fielder's choice groundout when a double play ended the threat. Back-to-back leadoff walks in the top of the sixth gave USF the tying runs on with no outs, but another double play ended that threat as well.
 
San Francisco outhit San Diego, 8-6, but seven walks issued by the Dons – their most allowed since April 2nd – boosted an otherwise quiet Toreros offense.
 
"We lost the momentum and we had to pay for it," said Giarratano. "We're not done. We're gonna battle the next four weeks.
 
"We're gonna practice well this week and we've gotta pitch better. We got a pretty good start from Nechak today and we didn't cash it in. We gotta get back and get a little tougher."
 
USF returns home next weekend to host Portland for a three-game West Coast Conference series starting Friday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.