SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco baseball team is just never out of a game in 2021.
 
The Dons erased a 3-0 deficit Saturday with a seven-run sixth inning to earn their seventh come-from-behind win of the season and complete a three-game West Coast Conference sweep over Loyola Marymount with a 9-4 victory at Benedetti Diamond.
 
The Dons (10-15, 6-3 WCC) came from behind to win for the second time in the series after also erasing a 3-0 deficit in Thursday's opener. USF has battled back all season long. Saturday marked the 21st time in 25 games they have erased deficits by either tying the game or taking the lead.
 
The series sweep over Loyola Marymount (9-17, 2-7 WCC) was the Dons' first over the Lions in 10 years, when they also won three straight over them at old Benedetti Diamond in 2011. It was USF's first weekend series sweep in nearly two years to the day, since they swept Saint Mary's at Benedetti Diamond on April 12-14, 2019.
 
"We pitched better the entire time. We pitched better at times during the game, which helped us a lot," said San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano. "Offensively, we've been pretty solid, so we just kept doing that, and we really straightened out the defensive side of it and started playing defense, so I think that's what helps you win three games right there."
 
San Francisco's seven-run sixth was the key for the comeback. The Dons batted around in the inning, scoring seven runs on seven hits – including two triples and a double. Seven of the first eight USF batters in the inning reached on base hits, the lone exception being a sacrifice bunt that moved two Dons into scoring position.
 
USF had run-scoring hits on three consecutive pitches at one point. Thomas McCarthy tallied his first RBI of the season with a first-pitch, bloop single over a drawn-in infield, Nick Yovetich dropped a Texas Leaguer single into center field on the first pitch to score a run, and Luke Keaschall tripled to the left-center field gap on the first pitch to score two more. Darius Foster followed Keaschall with another run-scoring triple down the right-field line, and Jack Winkler capped the rally with a sacrifice fly, making it 9-3.
 
Alex Pham (2-2) pitched four innings of relief to earn the win. He struck out three and only allowed one run on four hits while not issuing a walk, lowering his season ERA to 2.59. It was his second appearance of the series after earning a two-inning save on Thursday. Ryan Buckley (2/3 innings pitched) and Jared Breedwell (1/3 IP) both made their second appearances of the season and did not allow a run.
 
Loyola Marymount got three leadoff hits in the third inning to score their first run and drew a bases-loaded walk to score their second, but USF starter Grant Nechak was able to minimize the damage of what could have been a big inning. He got a strikeout and a ground ball before the bases-loaded walk, then got Will Grimm to fly out to left field to hold LMU to only two runs and strand the bases loaded.
 
Another leadoff double in the fourth eventually came around to score on an RBI double from Julian Bury, making it 3-0. LMU stranded 10 runners Saturday, seven of them in scoring position.
 
"Really happy for the guys to get this opportunity to start playing like they know they're capable of," said Giarratano. "We've been through some tough times, so hopefully we can take this momentum and run with it."
 
The Dons play two South Bay opponents next week, first hosting San Jose State at 3 p.m. Tuesday before traveling to Santa Clara for a three-game set against the Broncos starting Friday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.