STOCKTON, Calif. — Jonathan Allen snapped out of his funk in a big way Saturday, driving home a career high six runs and tying a career high with four hits – including two home runs – as he powered the University of San Francisco baseball team to a West Coast Conference series victory on the road over Pacific with a 9-4 triumph at Klein Family Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Allen drove home USF's first run of the game and the last four, bookending a nine-run, 13-hit day for the Dons (23-16, 12-6 WCC). The career day for Allen snapped a 13-game homerless streak. He had last homered on March 29 at Santa Clara when he also had two home runs. During that 13-game stretch, he struck out 16 times and saw his batting average fall 53 points. Saturday's performance jumped his average back up 20 points to .279.
   
• Allen put his team on the board in the first inning with a two-out RBI single on the first pitch he saw. He later scored when Nick Yovetich drove in two on a single, giving the Dons a 3-0 first-inning lead.
   
• San Francisco was facing the defending WCC Pitcher of the Week in Ryan Shreve (4-3), who was coming off a no-hitter Sunday at Santa Clara. But thanks to Allen and Yovetich, the Dons got to him early to take the pressure off of USF righty Julian Washburn (7-0), who was making just his second start of the year.
   
• Pacific (21-18, 8-10 WCC) got two runs back in the bottom of the second, but Allen put the Dons right back on the board with an RBI double that carried out to the warning track in right field. Robert Emery, who also had a good day going 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, drove in Riley Helland to re-establish the Dons' three-run lead at 5-2.
   
• Allen delivered the dagger in the fourth inning with his first home run of the game. Tyler Villaroman singled and stole back-to-back bases to put himself on third with one out, but Jack Winkler struck out and couldn't bring him home. Riley Helland drew a two-out walk, and that's when Allen sent a three-run home run over the high left-field wall to double the Dons' lead and make it 8-2.
   
• Allen put the icing on the cake in the eighth with his second home run of the game. It was a solo shot – another opposite-field drive over the left-center field wall – to make it 9-2. When he came to bat again in the top of the eighth, Pacific wanted nothing to do with him and threw him four consecutive balls for a walk. Allen's two home runs Saturday put him back in the WCC home run title chase, now trailing Loyola Marymount's Trevin Esquerra (14) by two.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 3rd: Allen's two home runs Saturday marked his third career multi-home run game. He hit two home runs earlier this season at Santa Clara on March 29. He also had two home runs on April 13, 2018, versus Loyola Marymount.
• 6: Allen's six RBIs were the most in a single game by a Don in two years. Former Don Brady Bate also drove in six against Sacramento State on April 18, 2017.
• t-9th: In just two seasons on The Hilltop, Allen has already etched his name into the USF history books as one of the program's best home run hitters of all time. His 19 career home runs (7 in 2018, 12 in 2019) rank him tied for ninth with Mitchell Bialosky (2005-08) and Peter Quittner (1996-97).

COMING UP

• San Francisco will play a home-and-home non-conference two-game series versus UC Davis starting on Monday. The first game will be played at 2:30 p.m. Monday in Davis, with USF lefty Grant Young scheduled to start for the Dons. Game two will shift the series to The Hilltop for a 3 p.m. start on Tuesday, when right-hander Josh Mollerus will throw for USF.
   
• Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.