The Rundown
Davis, Calif. - The University of San Francisco Dons (23-18) baseball team lost in extra innings to UC Davis (13-22), 9-7, in another back-and-forth high scoring midweek game.
 
The Dons would get the first run of the game in the first inning, with Jonathan Allen leading off the inning with a single into left field. After advancing to second on a throwing error, Allen would move over to third on a ground ball to the first baseman from Riley Helland. Michael Perri would come up next and hit a fly ball to left field, which was deep enough to bring in Allen from third and give the Dons a 1-0 lead.
 
UC Davis would even the score in the bottom of the second. After Grant Goodman retired the first batter, the Aggies would string back-to-back doubles that would bring around the tying run. The senior would get himself in trouble later in the inning as he would load the bases through a single and a hit batter. The next batter would fly out to right field, which was deep enough to bring in the Aggies' second run of the game and make it 2-1, UC Davis.
 
USF would take the lead back in the third inning, which began with a seven pitch walk from Helland. Perri would come up next and sting a line-drive home run over the left field fence to make it 3-2, Dons.
 
The Aggies would come back in the bottom of the third and even the score at 3-3. A one-out walk and an infield single would put runners on first and second. After a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, a ground ball to Perri would drive in the lead runner as the Dons short stop would take the out at first base.
 
In the fifth inning, Joey Steele would register two quick outs before Caleb Van Blake would reach on an error by Perri on a ground ball up that hopped up on the short stop, which he mishandled. Van Blake would then steal second for the second time in the game before advancing to third on a wild pitch. The next batter would double into left field to drive in the first run of the inning. UC Davis's Joseph Myers would single into right field to drive in the second run of the inning to give the Aggies a 5-3 lead. UC Davis would add another two runs when a throw from Robert Emery went into right field, allowing the runners from first and third to score to make it 7-3, UC Davis after five.
 
USF would bring the game level in the top of the seventh inning, scoring four runs. The inning began with a lead-off double from Matt Campos. Two batters later, Helland would single into left field to move Campos to third, putting runners on first and third with one-out. Perri would continue his strong afternoon when he singled to right-right center field to drive in Campos and move Helland to third, making it 7-5 UC Davis. Ross Puskarich would drive in the sixth run of the game for the Dons on a ground out to the short stop. Tyler Villaroman, pinch-hitting for Brady Bate, would drive in Perri from third as he laid down a perfect drag bunt to reach first safely. Villaroman would come around to score in the next at-bat as Jack Winkler doubled into the right field gap and even the score at 7-7.
 
The Aggies would get runners on first and second with one-out in the bottom of the ninth inning before the Dons would turn to Brendan Jenkins, who would come on in relief for Daniel Slominski. Jenkins would allow a single to right field to the first batter he faced to load the bases, but the senior would then get back-to-back pop ups to second and left field to send the game into extra innings.
 
As the game headed into the 12^th inning, the Aggies would get the lead-off runner on, who would then move up to second on a cross up between Grant Young and the infielders, throwing the ball over to first with no one covering. Bo Jelinek would come on and get the first out of the inning with a ground out that moved the runner at second over to first. Benji Post would come on in relief for Jelinek. The junior would get into a 2-2 count before UC Davis's Tanner Murray would hit a two-run walk-off home run to end the game, 9-7 Aggies.
 
With this loss the Dons are now 23-18, but will return home to take on Bay Area rival, Santa Clara, in a key West Coast Conference series beginning on Friday, April 27 at 3 p.m.

COACHES CORNER
USF head coach Nino Giarratano
On the defeat today:
"It was a tough loss on the road. We fought back and made some pitches, plays and swings to keep the game close. However, the game comes down to simple execution and, in the fifth inning, we did not execute pitches, plays, or play catch well enough."
 
On the 12^th inning:
"In the 12th we made a bad pitch to give up the lead runners and then missed a bunt coverage. Then in the next at-bat we did not execute a pitch to keep the game going. Today was a tough one, but we will learn from this and continue to find a way to improve."

GAME STATS

• Perri's game leading four RBIs puts his season total at 33, which leads the team in that category.
• Perri's home run is his sixth of the year, just one behind team leader Allen.
• Campos's double in the seventh was his third of the year.
• Allen's two-for-five day puts his hit total at 61, which leads the team and conference.
• Winkler's RBI double puts him at seven doubles and eight RBIs on the year.
• Jenkins and Parker's relief work today are their bullpen leading 22nd appearances of the year.