SAN JOSE, Calif. — The University of San Francisco baseball team's offense needed a jump start heading into its most important West Coast Conference series of the season.
 
And it got just that on Tuesday.
 
The Dons scored nine runs on 12 hits, including four extra-base hits and five free passes, as they completed the season sweep of San Jose State with a 9-8 non-conference win at Excite Ballpark.
 
Jack Winkler led the way with a three-hit performance that included a career-high six RBIs and his career-best seventh home run of the season. He also notched his 16th double of the year – one off his season career best of 17 (2019).
 
Winkler's biggest hit of the day was a three-run homer to left-center field in the fourth that turned a two-run game into an 8-3 lead for USF (22-25). His RBI double in the eighth might have been even more important, as it pushed the Dons' run total to nine, which ended up being the winning run, as San Jose State (6-23) would rally for two runs in the bottom half. Winkler also had two RBIs in the first two innings, bringing home the Dons' first run in the first with a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single in the second that made it 4-0.
 

T4 | #Dons 8 -- #Spartans 3

💥SEE YA!💥

Jack Winkler goes deep for a 3-run shot - his career-best 7th of the season - to put USF back up by 5#USFDons pic.twitter.com/Yqgt5K2pYO

— USF Dons Baseball (@SFDonsBaseball) May 19, 2021

 
Nine different Dons had base hits, but it was Winkler and Luke Keaschall that did all the driving in of runs. Keaschall had the Dons' other three RBIs, driving in two with an RBI single in the second (before Winkler's RBI single) and bringing home another with a sac fly in the fourth (before Winkler's three-run homer). He'd finish the day 1 for 1 with three RBIs, two walks and a run scored.
 
Jordan Vujovich was also 1 for 1 after leading off the game with a double. He'd score three runs thanks to also reaching base via a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Thomas McCarthy had USF's other multi-hit game, going 2 for 2.
 
Alex Pham (3-5) earned the win in his first start of the season, throwing two innings of shutout ball with two strikeouts, no walks and only two hits allowed. Julian Washburn, Max Jones and Grant Nechak – who earned his first career save – also had scoreless outings for USF.
 
San Jose State's Ruben Ibarra homered and went 2 for 4 for the Spartans. San Jose State rallied to within one run on two occasions, but they left the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth, as Jones was able to end the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
 
San Francisco travels to WCC-leading and nationally ranked Gonzaga for a three-game series starting Friday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.