SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The USF baseball team combined just enough offense with a healthy dose of solid pitching and defense to pull out a 3-2 victory over Pacific on Thursday evening at AT&T Park in the 11th annual Dante Benedetti Classic. The Dons improved to 8-16 overall and 3-1 in West Coast Conference play, while picking up their first win to open a series this year.  
 
Dan James proved the difference maker on the offensive end when he stroked a two-run go-ahead single off the glove of diving Pacific second baseman Louis Mejia with one out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh, giving the Dons a 3-1 advantage that would see them through to the end. 
 
Mack Meyer allowed one run in the top of the ninth, but stranded a runner at third by getting a fly out to center field to close out the game and pick up his second save of the year.
 
USF starter Anthony Shew (1-3) earned his first win of the year with a season-best 7.2 innings of work where he allowed one run on six hits while walking one and striking out five.
 
James led the Dons with his two RBI, while Allen Smoot went 2-for-3 on the day and scored two of USF's three runs. Aaron Ping went 1-for-3 and picked up the other RBI.
 
"Great day today," said head coach Nino Giarratano. "Thanks to Dante's Boys Foundation for putting this event on today. When you come to a Major League ballpark and play where the world champions play, you're going to play well and play hard.
 
"Anthony [Shew] played well; he had the change up, which he hadn't had the last few weeks, which is good for us, and Mack [Meyer] came in made some really good pitches for us. Dan James had a great at bat to get a hit where it needed to be hit and get us those two runs. It was just enough today."
 
Pacific (7-13, 1-3) struck first when Lucas Halstead ripped an RBI triple into the right center alley in the top of the second.
 
Pacific starter Will Lydon was cruising through the first four innings until Ping poked an RBI single up the middle that scored Smoot - who had led off the inning with an infield single – tying the game at 1-1.
 
James' two-run single put USF ahead 3-1 before Pacific rallied with back-to-back infield singles to lead off the top of the ninth. After a sacrifice bunt, Halstead plated the runner from third with a groundout to first base that cut the Dons' lead to 3-2 before Meyer shut the door.
 
Lydon (0-5) suffered the loss after throwing all eight innings for Pacific, allowing three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out five.
 
Halstead (1-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI) and JJ Wagner (2-for-4) were the Tigers' offensive standouts on the night.
 

WEB GEMS: With no one on and one out in the top of the seventh, SS Nico Giarratano made a reaching backhanded stab on a hard-hit one-hopper in the hole off the bat of Lucas Halstead and made the easy throw across the diamond for the out.  
 
NOTES: USF left three runners on base, while Pacific stranded six… RHP Anthony Shew's 7.2 innings pitched are the most for a USF hurler this season… USF has now won the past three years in the Dante Benedetti Classic.
 
UP NEXT: The Dons and Tigers will continue their WCC series at Pacific's Klein Family Field on Friday and Saturday. Friday's first pitch will be 7 p.m. as LHP Chase Gardner (0-2, 5.57) matches up against LHP Ricky Reynoso (1-2, 7.56).