Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco Diamond Dons (12-14, 4-4 WCC) beat Saint Mary's (8-19, 2-3 WCC) Friday, 4-3, on a
Brendan Hendriks walk-off single in the tenth inning at Benedetti Diamond.
USF pushed two across in the first after loading the bases with no outs. Third baseman
Bob Cruikshank walked to score a run, and outfielder
Bob Mott drove in the second run on a ground out. The Dons added a third run in the fifth on a two-out Cruikshank double that scored Zachary Turner from first base.
The Dons defense was solid all afternoon, keeping USF in the game. In the top of the third, second baseman
Jason Mahood ranged far to his left to make a diving play on a ground ball for the third out of the inning.
In the top of the ninth with the game tied, Dons centerfielder
Justin Maffei robbed Saint Mary's leadoff hitter Ricky Boas of extra bases, making a full-extension catch of a hard line drive near the warning track in right-center. Mahood continued his spectacular day defensively in the tenth, when with a runner at second and two out, he adjusted to field a line drive that deflected of Henriks glove and throw out Cole Norton at first to end the inning.
Bradley Zimmer led off the bottom of the tenth inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second by pinch-hitter
Harrison Bruce. Following a walk to Mott, Hendriks drove the first pitch he saw from Patrick Keane up the middle to plate Zimmer and deliver the Dons their first win of the series.
Haden Hinkle entered the game in the fifth inning, relieving starter
Alex Balog after the Gaels tied the game, 3-3. Hinkle pitched the final five-and-two-thirds innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five for his West Coast Conference-leading sixth win of the year.
“
Haden Hinkle comes to mind when you think about the game today, just how wonderful he was,” said USF Head Coach
Nino Giarratano. “Both teams made a lot of really good defensive plays to keep the game going. We scored late in the game to win, and maybe this kick starts our offense and we start to score some runs. Haden kept them at bay and really gave us a chance to win. Hopefully we get the kind of effort out of Cecilio tomorrow that we've been getting all year, and we have a chance to win the series.”
Inside the Numbers
Head Coach
Nino Giarratano counted five plays that the Dons defense turned from probable hits into outs.
Line of the Game
Haden Hinkle – 5.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
