SAN FRANCISCO — Just 24 hours after an impressive offensive display that saw both teams combine for 33 runs on 38 hits, the University of San Francisco baseball team and visiting UC Davis settled into a game of pitching and small ball on Tuesday, as the Aggies evened up the season series between the two teams with a 4-2 non-conference victory at Benedetti Diamond.
 


HOW IT HAPPENED

• Tuesday looked like it was about to turn into the exact same game that unfolded on Monday at Dobbins Stadium in Davis, with multiple runs being scored and the long ball getting going in the first inning. It was the Aggies (12-22) who jumped on the scoreboard early, just like the Dons (24-17) did on Monday in their 19-14 win. UC Davis scored two runs in the first inning, including a solo home run from Cooper Morrison on the sixth pitch of the game that got it all started.
   
• But unlike Monday, when the Dons scored 19 runs in the first five innings with multiple runs scored in all of them, San Francisco was shut down by UCD starter Blake Hannah (3-3). The Dons went down in order through the first three innings, only getting their first hit in the top of the fourth. Hannah retired eight of the next nine he faced and faced the minimum through the next three innings after surrendering that fourth-inning single to Villaroman.
   
• Meanwhile, the Aggies were able to increase their lead from 2-0 to 4-0 with single runs in both the fifth and sixth. An RBI groundout in the fifth scored Jalen Smith, and a two-out RBI single that dribbled up the middle in the top of the sixth doubled UCD's lead to 4-0. UC Davis only mustered three base hits on Tuesday, but it took advantage of eight walks issued by Dons pitching – their second-most allowed this season.
   
• San Francisco was not without its chances. The Dons loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh with Robert Emery – second-most RBIs on the team – strolling to the plate. But he rolled into a double play that scored a run, and a strikeout to follow ended the inning.
   
• The Dons tried to rally again in the eighth with a leadoff double from Nick Yovetich. The Dons would get runners on the corners with one out and the top of the order coming up, but again, a sacrifice fly, a two-out single and a flyout left two on and left UC Davis' lead intact.
   
• For the second straight week, Josh Mollerus (0-4) went deeper into a game than he has in his first collegiate season. Tuesday, he threw a season-high 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and giving up three earned runs (four total) on only two hits.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 3: The three hits allowed by San Francisco in Tuesday's defeat was the lowest amount of hits given up by the Dons in a loss since Feb. 19, 2015, when they also allowed three in a 1-0 walk-off defeat at Tulane.
• 5: Alex Pham walked a career-high five batters in just 1 1/3 innings pitched. Even with all the traffic on the base paths, he did not allow an earned run, lowering his season ERA to 2.13.
• 37: Jack Winkler extended his hitting streak Tuesday to five games with his fourth multi-hit performance during that stretch. He has raised his season batting average 37 points during the streak.

COMING UP

• San Francisco travels north this weekend for a three-game battle of West Coast Conference first place teams at Gonzaga. The series starts at 7 p.m. on Friday with the game being televised nationally on ESPNU. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.