University of San Francisco Athletics

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SAN FRANCISCO—After some uncertainty about whether the Dons were going to be able to play due to the weather, the Dons finally hit the field and found some life in the second half of Sunday's double header against Sacramento State and split the afternoon contests, earning the team's first series victory of the season.
 
San Francisco (5-6) was originally scheduled to play on Friday at Sacramento State with the second and third games at Benedetti Diamond on Saturday and Sunday respectively. When the rain postponed Friday's game, it shifted the schedule.
 
The Dons were able play Game 1 at Sacramento State on Saturday and hoped to get in the double header on Sunday. Early morning rain threatened that but they were able to get both contests in.
 
"Tough day. Taking the tarp off, putting it back on, trying to get the field ready," San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano said.
 
"It's tough on them. It was tough with the rain. It was tough with the perseverance. Today, the field is really muddy and our guys hung in there. I'm glad we could get two out of three."
 
The Dons will return to action on Friday when they begin the Cal Tournament against Arkansas in Berkeley, Calif.
 
GAME 1
SACRAMENTO STATE 6 – SAN FRANCISCO 2
 
With a runner on in the first, Ryan Locke crushed the Christian Cecilio pitch to deep center for a two-run home run to give Sacramento State the 2-0 lead.
 
Cecilio settled down after the first inning and went six, giving up three runs while striking out a career-high eight.
 
The Dons got on the board in the third when a ball hit by Bradley Zimmer that went into the hole between second and first bases was stopped on a dive by Brandon Hunley but his throw was not in time to get the speedy centerfielder. Harrison Bruce, who was on second base, hustled around to score on the play to cut the deficit to 3-1.
 
The Dons cut into the Hornets lead again in the sixth when Ryan Matranga crushed a double off the netting in leftfield, scoring Derek Atkinson, making it 3-2.
 
Sacramento State responded in the seventh by putting up three runs off Ben Graff and the big hit came off the bat of Brandon Hunley, who hit a two-run double off the netting to give the Hornets a 6-2 lead.
 
 
GAME 2
SAN FRANCISCO 9 – SACRAMENTO STATE 5
 
Sloppy defense put the Dons in an early hole and sloppy defense by Sacramento State got them out of it.
 
"They kind of gave it to us," Giarratano said. "They didn't play good defense."
 
With runners on second and third, Rhys Hoskins ripped a single into leftfield, allowing Nathan Lukes to score from third. Matt Narahara picked up the throw and threw to second as Hoskins attempted to advance but it went high and allowed Hunley to score and put the Hornets up 2-0.
 
Sacramento State took a 5-1 lead into the sixth inning and that is when the Dons started to put something together.
 
After a Matranga double put runners at second and third, Harrison Bruce hit a ball to the first baseman that went between his legs and into rightfield, allowing both runners to score and make it a two-run game.
 
Matt Sinatro bunted for a single but the throw to first went off the glove of Ryne Hoskins and rolled into rightfield, moving runners to second and third with one out. After a Nico Giarratano strikeout, Zimmer laced a single into right, scoring both Bruce and Sinatro to tie the game at five.
 
Errors cost Sacramento State again in the seventh.
 
After Atkinson reached on an error, Brendan Hendriks hit a triple that one-hopped the centerfield wall to give USF its first lead of the game. Michael Eaton, Giarratano and Zimmer drove in three more runs in the inning to take a commanding 9-5 lead.
 
The Hornets had six errors in the game.
 
"We stepped up and got some hits," Giarratano said. "Bradley played well. We got some good offense out of most of our lineup. It's god to see Zack [Turner] start to turn the corner and swing the bat."
 
Zimmer went 5-for-9 in the two games with four RBI. Turner went 2-for-4 in the second game of the day.
 
Houston Hibberd pitched the final three innings, giving up no runs on two hits, to pick up his second win of the season.
 
"Houston's been great. Once we got to Houston and we tied the game, it was pretty good for us."