SAN DIEGO — The San Francisco baseball team had everything going for it for 7 1/2 innings Sunday, but a six-run eighth-inning rally by San Diego and some ninth-inning escapism
gave the Toreros a 6-4 West Coast Conference series-clinching victory at Fowler Park.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• San Francisco (13-10, 3-3 WCC) cruised into the eighth having shut out host USD (17-7, 3-3 WCC) for seven straight frames. Grant Nechak and Alex Pham combined to throw seven scoreless frames, only allowing six hits in those six innings. But once the eighth arrived, the Toreros put seven straight batters on base and 10 of 11, scoring six runs to surge ahead. Three consecutive singles started the inning and scored USD's first run. An RBI fielder's choice scored another run, and a seeing-eye single made it 4-3.
   
• Joey Steele (0-3) entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs. Still holding on to a 4-3 lead with one out, the Toreros tied the game with another fielder's choice ground ball, though the Dons threw the ball away and allowed another runner to reach third. USF intentionally walked Jeff Houghtby to load the bases and get a double play chance to end the inning, but again the Dons threw the ball away, allowing the two go-ahead runs to score and making it 6-4.
   
• The Dons were down but not out in the top of the ninth. San Francisco put both of its leadoff batters on base to start the inning and had the go-ahead run at the plate with no outs, its 2-3-4 hitters in the lineup coming to bat. But a flyout, a throw-out at the plate, and a strikeout from the 2-3-4 hitters ended the rally as quickly as it started.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 2: San Francisco committed two errors in the game, its second multi-error game of the series (both defeats). It was only the Dons' fifth multi-error game in 23 contests this season, but three of them have come in the last six games.
• 2nd: Riley Helland posted his second straight multi-hit game with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate. He had a double and scored twice. He raised his season batting average 36 points in the past two games.
• 3: Robert Emery tallied three RBIs for the second straight day. He hit two RBI doubles and also drew a walk to help power the Dons' offense.

COACH GIARRATANO QUOTES

• Tough loss. We need to execute for nine innings if we want to win the series. Our inability to make simple baseball plays cost us the series."
   
• We will need to rebound from this. We had good innings from Nechak and Pham. Riley Helland is heating up and could help down the stretch."

COMING UP

• San Francisco travels to Reno, Nev., for a midweek contest versus Nevada on Tuesday, then concludes its eight-game road trip next weekend with a three-game WCC series at South Bay rival Santa Clara starting Friday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.