SAN FRANCISCO – The USF baseball team bounced back from a series-opening loss with a well-rounded 10-3 victory over Pacific on Saturday afternoon from Benedetti Diamond.
 
Michael Perri helped lead the Dons offense by going 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored and Matt Sinatro went 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Dominic Miroglio and Dan James each collected two hits apiece while belting home runs in the win. Riley Helland and Tylver Villaroman each turned in 2-for-3 days with a run scored and an RBI as well.
 
On the mound, starter Scott Parker fell just 1/3 of an inning short of qualifying for the win after allowing three runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings while recording a career high five strikeouts.
 
Righty Benji Post (7-2) earned the win with 4 1/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen, allowing just two hits while striking out four and walking one.
 
"To score three in the second after being down one nothing changed the complexion of the game," head coach Nino Giarratano said. "Every time they scored, we'd score two, and it just kind of multiplied and we were able to put them away.
 
"With one walk and nine punch outs, that's what it's supposed to look like from our pitching staff."
 
After striking out the first two batters of the game, Parker ran into a little bit of trouble by hitting James Free with a pitch. Free came around to score two batters later on Kevin Sandri's RBI single that gave Pacific (18-33, 6-20 WCC) an early lead.
 
USF (28-28, 10-16 WCC) answered in the bottom of the second by plating three runs and taking the lead that they would end up holding onto. Miroglio's single started the inning and was followed by a double off the bat of Perri. Riley Helland drove in Miroglio with an RBI groundout and James drove in Perri with a base hit. Villaroman added a two-out RBI single later in the inning.
 
A leadoff triple by Ryan Schalch in the top of the fourth helped Pacific chip away at the lead when the next hitter, Sandri, picked up an RBI double to bring the Tigers within one.
 
But that would be as close as the Dons would allow the game to get as USF tacked on another three runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by James' two-run opposite field home run and a two-out RBI single by Sinatro.
 
The Tigers tallied their final run in the top of the fifth by getting back-to-back singles to start the inning, setting up Matt Tarantino's sacrifice fly.
 
Miroglio connected for his team-leading ninth home run on the first offering from new Pacific pitcher, Ed O'Bannon, in the bottom of the fifth. Ross Puskarich later drove in a run with an RBI single that put the Dons ahead 8-3.
 
The final bit of breathing room came with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh when the first four USF hitters reached base and Harrison Bruce drove in two by lacing a double down the left field line.
 
The 2017 season will come to a close on Sunday afternoon when the Dons host Pacific again for the rubber match at 1 p.m. Right-hander Grant Goodman (3-4, 4.84) will take the mound as one of the 13 USF seniors being honored prior to the game, while Pacific will turn to lefty Ricky Reynoso (5-6, 3.82).
 
"I want everybody to show up tomorrow with that same desire they've had every day and not let the emotion overtake them," Giarratano said. "A lot of our guys are going to move onto something different than baseball and it's pretty scary because the real world is here now. So I just want them to enjoy being kids and being baseball players and I want them to have fun for the very last time together as a group."