DAVIS, Calif. – Concluding its five-game road trip with a win, the University of San Francisco baseball team (17-16) triumphed over UC Davis (15-15) on the road, earning a narrow 6-4 victory Tuesday afternoon at Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- UC Davis jumped ahead in the opening frame as back-to-back base hits from Damian Stone and Tyler Howard put the Aggies up 1-0.
- The Dons responded in the following inning and scored two runs to take their first lead. With runners on the corners and one out, Charles-Etienne Pelletier executed a sacrifice squeeze bunt, scoring TJ Rogers from third to tie the game at one. Later in the inning, with two baserunners aboard, a double steal from Myles Kallinger and Matty Fung plated the Dons' second run to go up 2-1.
- Logan Azem continued his success at the plate, recording his second base hit of the afternoon in the third inning, an RBI single through the left side of the infield to extend the lead to 3-1.
- The Aggies got one back in the bottom half of the third on a Howard RBI groundout, scoring Jason Hansen to cut the Dons' advantage to 3-2.
- Three runs came across for the green and gold in the eighth inning, pushing the lead to 6-2. Pelletier kickstarted the scoring with a bases-loaded hit by pitch, scoring Azem, and Rogers crossed home plate shortly after as Tyvon Moore grounded into a double play. Kody Watanabe ended the scoring with a two-out RBI single to left field, plating Fung to cap off the four-run advantage.
- UC Davis answered in the bottom half of the eighth, with two runs on a Stone two-run towering home run over the right-field wall to get within two, 6-4.
- Matt McConnell pitched the final inning for the Dons, securing the win and earning his first career save.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Azem extended his hitting streak to four games as he went three-for-four at the plate with a double, a walk, a run scored, and an RBI. Posting his fourth-straight multi-hit game, hitting .667 (10-for-15) during that span, Azem increased his season average to .413.
- Watanabe also collected three hits throughout the contest, his 10th multi-hit performance, adding one walk and an RBI.
- Hunter Holzemer earned his first career start for the green and gold, allowing just one earned run and striking out two batters in three innings.
- Blake Shepardson picked up the win on the mound as he pitched one inning of relief and gave up two hits.
- McConnell pitched a perfect ninth inning, facing three batters and striking out one to earn his first career save.
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to West Coast Conference play at 2 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 12 when it hosts Gonzaga in the series opener of a three-game set at Benedetti Diamond.
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SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge our department 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.