SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco baseball team (14-8) took advantage of timely hitting and solid pitching to earn a 6-4 victory over Minnesota (8-10) in the series opener Friday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- No runs came across in the first two innings, but Minnesota drew first blood in the top of the third inning off a Jake Perry double that brought Brady Counsell home, giving the Golden Gophers a 1-0 advantage. Shortly after, following two walks, Perry scored off a single from Sam Hunt, doubling Minnesota's lead to 2-0.
- San Francisco fought to gain control in the bottom of the fourth. JT Amaral recorded the Dons' second base hit in the first at-bat of the inning, reaching first base off a pop-up in the infield. With the help of three walks, Amaral scored to close the gap to 2-1.
- With the bases loaded, Charles-Etienne Pelletier was hit by a pitch, advancing Michael Campagna home to even the ballgame at two runs apiece. Tyvon Moore followed suit with a sacrifice bunt to bring Mattie Thomas home, putting the green and gold in front, 3-2.
- In the top of the fifth, the Golden Gophers quickly knotted up the contest with back-to-back hits – a single from Perry and a Weber Neels double – as Perry scored to tie the contest at three.
- Following a Campagna single in the bottom of the fifth, Patrick Keighran blasted a two-run home run over the left-field wall, his first blast of the season, giving the Dons a 5-3 advantage.
- Continuing the back-and-forth affair, Hunt hit a home run in the Golden Gophers' first at-bat of the sixth inning, closing the deficit to just one run, 5-4.
- After a hitless seventh inning for both squads, Matty Fung extended the Dons' lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with a single that sent Logan Leax home, stretching the lead to 6-4.
- Despite two hits in the top of the ninth from Minnesota, the Golden Gophers failed to put another run on the board, and San Francisco took home the series opener by a score of 6-4.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Leading the way for San Francisco, Keighran recorded one hit and two RBI for the green and gold, including his first home run of the season and the seventh of his career.
- Earning his third win of the season, Andrew Hazell recorded six strikeouts in 3.2 innings en route to the Dons' victory.
- Gabriel Barrett shut out Minnesota in the final 3.1 innings of the game, allowing just two hits and striking out four batters to pick up his third save of the season.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 23, when continues its series against Minnesota at Benedetti Diamond.
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MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today!
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SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor –
Planet Orange - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact
Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.
