BASE | Dons Come Back and Win in Extras, Clinch Series at Cal

Sunday, March 8

Berkeley, Calif.

2 p.m.

University of San Francisco

8-8

California

4-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
San Francisco	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	5	8	11	3
California	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	8	2

Darius Foster hit his first career home run Sunday - a three-run blast in the top of the 10th that sent the Dons to victory.

Photo by: Christina Leung

BASE | Dons Come Back and Win in Extras, Clinch Series at Cal

3/8/2020 11:01:00 PM | Baseball

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BERKELEY, Calif. — For seven innings Sunday, it looked like the University of San Francisco baseball team's offense was continuing a slide back to its early season struggles after it had been on fire for the last week.

But then it woke up.

San Francisco scored eight runs in the final three innings at California Sunday to erase a 3-0 deficit and win, 8-3, in 10 innings at Evans Diamond, clinching its second consecutive weekend series victory.

"I'm very proud of the fight 'till the end by the Dons," said San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano. "We continued to believe and put together three quality at-bats to tie the game."

Through the first seven innings Sunday, the Dons were 2 for 6 with runners on base and 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position with a double play and a strikeout. It was reminiscent of Saturday's game two setback, in which the Dons were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position en route to falling 6-1 at home. And it harked back to February when the Dons started the year 2-6 in part to hitting .116 (8 for 69) with runners in scoring position.

Kyle Knell's first career home run in the eighth inning got the Dons on the board and shook the offense. His solo shot over the left field wall made it 3-1 after he had entered the game only two innings earlier as a pinch runner. From there on, the Dons would hit .600 (6 for 10) with runners on base and go 4 for 8 (.500) with runners in scoring position.

That included a game-tying rally in the ninth. Both leadoff batters got on, and then Jacob Munoz singled home Nick Yovetich. Pinch-runner Darius Foster moved all the way to third on Munoz's single – a play that would prove essential two batters later.

New relief pitcher Ian Villers threw a wild pitch during an eight-pitch battle with Chase Hodkinson, scoring Foster from third and tying the game at 3-3. Two more groundouts would leave the two runners in scoring position, but the Dons had the momentum now.

California (4-11) threatened to win it all in the ninth. Back-to-back errors gave them a runner in scoring position with one out, and a two-out walk loaded the bases for Nathan Martorella – who had already homered twice in the series. But Alex Pham (3-0) got Martorella to pop out to short right field on the first pitch, giving USF a chance to win it in the 10th.

The 10th started much like the ninth-inning game-tying rally did – Knell singled and Jack Winkler walked, putting two on with no outs. A three-pitch looking strikeout could have put a damper on the rally, but Foster stepped up and hit his first career home run as well – a shot over the right field fence on the third pitch he saw to put the Dons ahead 6-3.

"I'm really happy for Darius Foster," said Giarratano. "He has worked hard and has been a great teammate. He deserved that opportunity and delivered in a big way."

The Dons also got more solid performances on the mound. Grant Nechak, who like teammate Landen Bourassa is slowly ramping up from offseason rehab, threw 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball, striking out four and scattering four hits. Jesse Barron threw 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief to get the Dons into the eighth inning. He struck out the side in the seventh and got two more in the eighth before Grant Young came in and got a strikeout to strand two runners and keep it at 3-1 heading to the ninth. Pham threw two innings of shutout relief in earning the win. He stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and got a strikeout to strand two more in the 10th.

"I can't say enough about the start by Nechak," said Giarratano. "Big outs by Barron to keep us close, and Alex Pham is a beast. It was good to get back-to-back weekends on Sunday."

The Dons host Sacramento State at 3 p.m. on Tuesday before starting West Coast Conference play on the road at Pepperdine with a three-game series starting Friday. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.