BERKELEY, Calif. — The University of San Francisco baseball team's offense was clicking Thursday night at Evans Diamond, just not when it needed it the most. The Dons outhit host California, 9-3, and drew five free passes, but they stranded 11 runners as the Bears earned a 4-2 series-opening win.
 
San Francisco (2-2) had runners in scoring position in all nine innings Thursday, but once they got there, the offense went 0 for 11. Two sacrifice flies amounted for all of USF's offense, one in the third by Nick Yovetich and one in the fourth by Harris Williams. The Dons threatened all night long, leaving the tying runs on in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings – four of those in scoring position.
 
Freshman righty Owen Stevenson (0-1) made his first collegiate start, allowing four runs (three earned) on only one hit with two strikeouts, three walks and a hit batsman. Josh Mollerus threw strong in his second outing of the year, posting four shutout innings of one-hit ball with five Ks. Grant Young was also strong in his second appearance, throwing two perfect innings in the seventh and eighth with three strikeouts.
 
Cal's (2-3) Dylan Beavers hit his third home run of the year in the bottom of the first, a two-out, two-run shot that put the Bears up, 2-0. Cal scored the deciding runs in the bottom of the third after USF got a run back on Yovetich's sac fly in the top half. Two leadoff walks in the inning would both come around to score, first on an RBI single from Nathan Martorella, and then a sac fly from Beavers, making it 4-2.
 
Cal used six pitchers in the game, with the win going to Vaughn Mauterer, who allowed three hits and a walk but did not allow a run in two shutout innings. Steven Zobac got the save, his first of the season.
 
Both teams return to Evans Diamond at 5 p.m. Friday for game two of the series. Right-hander Landen Bourassa is scheduled to pitch for San Francisco. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.