SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Led by
Zack Ramppen's first multi-hit game of the season and stellar pitching, the University of San Francisco baseball team (3-1) earned a 6-3 series-clinching win over Fairleigh Dickinson (1-3) Sunday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- FDU opened the scoring in the opening inning with Hunter D'Amato ripping an RBI base hit to center field, scoring Joan Sosa from first base to give the Knights a 1-0 advantage.
- In a wild bottom half of the first inning, San Francisco responded and tied the game when Ramppen punched an RBI single to left field, plating Kody Watanabe.
- Matty Fung kickstarted the rally for the Dons with a six-pitch leadoff walk and quickly stole second to get into scoring position. After Tyvon Moore recorded a base hit in the next at-bat to put Fung at third, the Knights picked up a crucial out when Fung was tagged out trying to advance to home plate on a ground ball off of the bat of Watanabe. In scoring position on the fielder's choice, Watanabe scored the following at-bat when Ramppen lined a single to left field.
- After three straight scoreless innings, the Dons took their first lead of the game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-1 advantage. The green and gold quickly got two runners aboard with one out as Fung led off the inning with a walk, and Watanabe reached on a hit by pitch. Ramppen stepped up to the plate and followed with a hard-hit ground ball that snuck down the left-field line, allowing Fung and Watanabe to work around the basepath.
- The Dons added two runs in the seventh inning and one in the eighth to extend their lead to 6-1. In the seventh, Watanabe recorded the team's first home run of the season, a two-run shot over the right-field wall, scoring Moore, while a TJ Rogers' sacrifice fly plated the Dons' final run as Logan Leax scored from third base the following inning.
- FDU responded with two runs in the top of the ninth inning to cut San Francisco's advantage to 6-3. Austin Cupic entered the game in relief for Gavin Pacheco and recorded three outs to solidify the win for the green and gold.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Ramppen recorded his first multi-hit game for the Dons, going three-for-four at the plate with a double, two singles, and three RBI.
- Watanabe posted the Dons' first home run of the season, a two-run blast to right field in the seventh inning, and led the team with three runs scored.
- Moore notched a two-hit performance, recording two singles, and scored one run.
- Joe Soberon was stellar in his first appearance on the mound for the green and gold, pitching six strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits, and totaling two strikeouts.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to action at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, when it kicks off a three-game series against Nevada at Benedetti Diamond.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF baseball program, be sure to follow
@SFDonsBaseball on Twitter,
@USFDonsBaseball on Instagram and
@University.of.San.Francisco.Baseball on Facebook.
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today!
Click here to purchase.
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge our department sponsor –
San Francisco Toyota - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact
Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.
