SAN FRANCISCO — Ryan Davis may need to inform his family and friends that he has a new middle name as of this season.
"Clutch."
Davis added to his growing total of timely hits in 2021 for the University of San Francisco baseball team, tying Friday's West Coast Conference series opener with a two-run home run in the fifth and flashing his defensive leather late to help the Dons come from behind and beat Saint Mary's, 5-4, at Benedetti Diamond.
Davis, the graduate transfer from Georgetown and local East Bay product, has had at least a half-dozen base hits for the Dons (19-20, 14-8 WCC) that have either tied the game, put them ahead, or started what would be tying or go-ahead rallies, always keeping his team in it.
"
Ryan Davis has had some of the biggest hits for this team all season," said San Francisco head coach
Nino Giarratano. "He has had some of the biggest clutch doubles, home runs, at-bats; This guy might have six game-winning hits for us, and he finally gets the opportunity to do it."
Davis had to face fresh-into-the-game Saint Mary's reliever Carlos Lomeli, a past all-WCC honoree and one of the Gaels' (20-21, 9-13 WCC) best arms. Davis fell behind 0-2, but worked the count back in his favor to 3-2, forcing Lomeli to come to him.
"It started when I was younger," said Davis about being in clutch situations. "I've always been taught, just through the coaches and through my dad, when you're in those situations, they gotta come to you, and if you can try and flip the pressure, y'know, they have to throw you a strike, they have to try and get you out, so if you can try and turn the pressure to the other guy, it makes it a lot easier."
Lomeli
did come to Davis, leaving a ball over the middle-inside part of the zone, which Davis turned on and sent over the center field wall – one of the deepest parts of the ballpark – for a game-tying, two-run shot.
Davis also flashed his leather at third base late in the game to stop any Saint Mary's momentum before it started. He ranged wide to his left to smother a ball, popped up and turned around, then fired the ball to first base to get the second out of the top of the eighth.
Friday was a continuation of Davis' second coming over the past week. He started eight of the Dons' first nine games this year, but only made nine starts over the next 26 – a near-two-month stretch. He saw his batting average reach a season-low .194 on April 18, but he got back into the starting lineup Saturday at Pacific, and thanks to a pinch-hit single the day before, is now on a four-game hitting streak during which he's batting .462 with two multi-hit games, three RBIs, a double, triple and a home run, four runs scored and two stolen bases to boot.
"Just fabulous," said Giarratano about Davis' play Friday. "He hadn't played for a couple weeks and then he started getting back in there, and he's just putting good at-bats together; You know what – he works so hard and he's such a great addition to this club, that that's just wonderful."
"It felt good," Davis said of his performance. "I've been putting a lot of work in. I was a little new to the infield this year, and as time has gone, Coach G has continuously worked with me defensively and just getting into a better rhythm, and it's been paying off, which is nice to see."
The way San Francisco took the lead for good in the seventh was as anti-climactic as Davis' climactic game-tying homer in the fifth.
Nick Yovetich hit a leadoff single, then stole second base. He moved third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on a wild pitch.
Who was batting when the ball got past Saint Mary's JC Santini? Davis. Who's swing at a 2-1 pitch low and inside most likely helped distract the SMC catcher and allowed the eventual winning run to score.
That's been a big part of our culture this year, is the ability to come back and not let one mistake beat you," said Davis. "Coach always harps on that. The first mistake is gonna happen, it's your ability to not let that one beat you, and then Landen (Bourassa) did a phenomenal job today. Got down early and it didn't affect him. He got better as the game went on. He kept getting guys out and getting us back in the dugout and gave us a chance to come back, so it started on the mound with Landen's effort."
Saint Mary's took advantage of an extra life in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead. A foul popup that should've been the end of the inning was dropped, giving Kyle Velazquez another chance. He'd eventually work a nine-pitch walk to load the bases. Nick Mistone followed with a sinking liner to left-center field that also couldn't be caught by the Dons, scoring two runs. And Ryan Ellis' slow dribbler up the third base line resulted in an infield single and another run – all unearned – to make it 3-0 before USF had come to bat.
USF starter
Landen Bourassa (6-2) gave up four runs (one earned) on five hits in the first two innings and trailed 4-0. But after the Gaels loaded the bases again in the second with only one out, he went on to retire 17 of the last 18 batters he faced and 14 consecutive from the third through seventh innings. He'd finish with five strikeouts against only two walks in earning the 15th victory of his career – tying him for eighth all-time at USF.
"We didn't make good pitches in the first and then we didn't catch a popup," said Giarratano, "and then we didn't catch the line drive, we threw out the guy from right field and didn't move our feet, and before you know it it's 4-0, and we're like, 'What? What is going on here?'"
For San Francisco, it was their 10th come-from-behind victory of the year. And the 4-0 deficit it erased Friday marked the 28th time this season it has come from behind to tie or take the lead in a game.
"A lot of really good things after the first two innings," said Giarratano. "Hopefully tomorrow we get off to a little bit better start and play a little cleaner. We're in a good situation right now if we can just execute."
Game two is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. Right-hander
Grant Nechak is scheduled to throw for the Dons against Saint Mary's righty Ryan Taurek. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.
