BASE | Bulldogs Come from Behind to Beat Dons - University of San Francisco Athletics

Saturday, May 22

Spokane, Wash.

6 P.M.

University of San Francisco

22-27, 15-11

Gonzaga

32-14, 19-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
San Francisco	0	0	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	5	8	0
Gonzaga	1	0	0	0	4	0	0	1	X	6	9	0

Darius Foster hit his third home run of the year Saturday, a two-run shot in the fourth inning that made it 5-1.

Photo by: Christina Leung

BASE | Bulldogs Come from Behind to Beat Dons

5/22/2021 10:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Follow Baseball on Twitter Follow Baseball on Instagram Like Baseball on Facebook

SPOKANE, Wash. — For the second straight night, the University of San Francisco baseball team took a lead on the road over first place and nationally ranked Gonzaga, but also for the second straight time, the Bulldogs found a way to rally back and hold on for a close win, squeaking out another one-run triumph in beating the Dons, 6-5, at Patterson Baseball Complex.

An issue that has rarely plagued the Dons (22-27, 15-11 WCC) – if at all – for the past two months came back to haunt them like it did during the early goings of the season, and that was free passes. Gonzaga (32-14, 19-4 WCC) drew multiple walks in both of the innings in which it rallied to both tie the game and go ahead late.

The Bulldogs trailed 5-1 entering the bottom of the fifth and had to face one of the Dons' top arms in Alex Pham. But they were patient, and even though Pham recorded his team-leading 70th strikeout in the inning, he also issued five walks, including four with the bases loaded – three of them back-to-back-to-back – pushing across four runs and tying the game at 5-5.

Gonzaga again took advantage of multiple walks in the bottom of the eighth to score what would be the game-winning run. Ernie Yake led off the inning with a bloop double into right field, and consecutive walks followed to load the bases. Yake then scrambled home on a wild pitch, making it 6-5.

The Dons, like in Friday's opener, were not without their chances on Saturday. They had two on and one out in the first but rolled into a double play to end the threat. They had runners on the corners in the third but left them there to stunt a two-out rally that had already netted three runs and the lead for USF. They left a runner in scoring position in the fifth and eighth innings, and got the tying run to third base in the ninth, but couldn't bring it home.

T3 | #Dons 3 -- #Bulldogs 1

‼️VOOOO‼️

Jordan Vujovich triples down the RF line to put the Dons ahead!

USF has scored 3 runs in the 3rd - all with 2 outs, including Luke Keaschall's game-tying home run earlier 🙌#USFDons pic.twitter.com/hRJ7aC9IP3
— USF Dons Baseball (@SFDonsBaseball) May 23, 2021

Luke Keaschall got the Dons rolling in the third with a game-tying home run, his fourth homer of the season. He'd finish the day going 2 for 5 for his third multi-hit game in his last four. Two walks later, Jordan Vujovich tripled home two runs to put USF ahead, 3-1. The very next inning, Darius Foster hit his third homer of the year, a two-run shot that made it 5-1 at the time. Jesse Barron was solid in only his second career start, throwing four innings and striking out two while only allowing one run in a no-decision.

The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.