FRESNO, Calif. – Two three-run innings from Fresno State proved the difference as San Francisco fell to the Bulldogs 6-2 Friday night at Beiden Field. Bulldogs' (7-7, 0-0 WAC) starter Tyler Linehan pitched 7.2 innings of two-run ball, striking out eight and walking only two. USF (7-8, 0-0 WCC) ace Kyle Zimmer was extraordinary again, striking out 10 and walking only one.
Zimmer, a preseason All-American, pitched much better than his line score indicated, as the right-hander allowed six earned runs after entering Friday night's contest with a 0.60 ERA (15 ip, 1 er). The junior fireballer improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio to an incredible 25-to-1 after he walked his first batter of the year in the second inning.
Linehan silenced the USF bats for the majority of the game, eventually giving up two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. The sophomore from Sacramento improved to 2-1 on the season after earning Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors earlier in the season.
Zimmer's first walk of the year would prove costly, as Jordan Luplow came around to score the first run of the game on shortstop Chris Mariscal's RBI single. Patrick Hutcheson reached base after Marsical on a rare swinging strikeout, as the ball got away from Morioka at the plate, allowing Hutcheson to scamper down to first. One batter later, left fielder Daniel Moultrie pounded a two-run triple over the head of Justin Maffei to give the Bulldogs an early 3-0 lead.
Zimmer came back with two impressive shutdown innings in the third and fourth, retiring five straight Bulldogs, three via strikeout.
However, Fresno State's bats awoke again in the bottom of the fifth with three straight hits.
With one out in the inning, Trent Garrison doubled into left center to give the Bulldogs their third extra base hit of the game. In the very next at-bat, cleanup hitter Aaron Judge singled through the middle to score Garrison. That brought designated hitter Kenneth Wise to the plate, who broke the game open with a two-run home run to put Fresno State ahead, 6-0.
San Francisco refused to go down without a fight, scoring twice in the top of the eighth inning courtesy of a two-run single from Nik Balog. Balog's seventh and eighth RBIs of the year brought the Dons within four, 6-2.
Unfortunately it wouldn't be enough as JD Salles came on in the ninth and retired the side in order.
Adam Clear, in his first start at shortstop this year, went 3-for-4 with one run scored. Clear is riding an eight-game hitting streak and has raised his batting average .65 points to .315. In the last four games, the senior has gone 7-for-14 (.500).
Balog's 2-for-4, two-RBI effort improved the first baseman's batting average to .407. Balog is in the midst of a four-game hitting streak himself, having gone 6-for-15 (. 400).
Freshman relievers Sheldon Lee and Logan West both pitched scoreless frames in relief of Zimmer. West, in his second outing of the season, struck out the side on 17 pitches in the eighth inning.
The Dons take to the field again tomorrow, March 10th, at 6:05 looking to win their first game of this four-game set. San Francisco sophomore Abe Bobb (2-1) gets the nod for USF against Bulldogs right-hander Taylor Garrison, who earned the save in the Thursday opener.
