May 10, 2008

Final Stats

(San Francisco, CA) - San Francisco rallied with two outs in the eighth to take an exciting 6-3 West Coast Conference victory over No. 8 San Diego (39-14, 16-4 WCC) at Benedetti Diamond on Saturday afternoon. USF (30-23, 11-9 WCC) breaks the 30-win barrier for just the sixth time in its 101 year history, and third time in the last four years.

Down 2-1 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Dons put on their rally hats and plated five runs. Senior right fielder Kyle Morgan reached base on a throwing error by USD's junior shortstop Sean Nicol to start the inning. Senior first baseman/RHP Mitchell Bialosky singled down the left field line before sophomore catcher Ryan Lipkin sacrificed the runners to second and third. Sophomore shortstop Derek Poppert was intentionally walked to load the bases and junior left fielder Zach Kim struck out for the second out. Freshman third baseman Chris Escobar, in his first at bat of the series, connected for a two-RBI single into right field, scoring Morgan and Bialosky. With runners on the corners, freshman third baseman/first baseman Stephen Yarrow smashed a huge three-run homerun over the right field fence to make it 6-2.

USF had a 1-0 lead after three innings, off a Likpin RBI single. San Diego tied it in the sixth with an RBI single through the left side by senior second baseman Kevin Hanson. The Toreros took the 2-1 lead in the next inning on a throwing error by Yarrow. USD added a run in the ninth, to make it 6-3, when sophomore center fielder Kevin Muno singled up the middle, plating freshman third baseman Victor Sanchez, who had singled earlier in the frame.

Dons' senior left-hander Matt Baugh threw an exceptional game, not letting the Toreros cross home plate until the sixth. In 7.1 innings, Baugh allowed two runs (one earned) off eight hits, no walks, and four strikeouts. San Diego's junior left-hander Josh Romanski was equally as good, allowing just one earned run off five hits, two walks, and struck out seven Dons in 7.0 innings.

Bialosky (5-5) earned the win in relief, allowing one earned run off two hits, a walk, and a strikeout in 1.2 innings. USD's junior left-hander Ricardo Pecina (5-4) took the loss, allowing five unearned runs off three hits, one walk, and two strikeouts in 1.0 inning of relief.

Railey extended his hitting streak to 15 games on a 2-for-5 night with a double. He is now just three hits away from tying Arnie Sambel (1987-90) at fourth place on the Dons career hits chart with 236 base knocks. Escobar earned his first two RBI's as a Don, both of those on his single in the eighth. Yarrow's game winning homerun is his second of the year, the first being at Pepperdine on April 11. Bialosky, Lipkin, Kim and freshman center fielder Connor Bernatz each singled in the game.

USF will host San Diego in the rubber match tomorrow at Benedetti Diamond. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM.

GAME NOTES:

 - USF had 30 or more wins in five previous seasons: 32 in 1971, 30 in 1996, 34 in 1998, 38 in 2005, and 39 in 2006.
 - The Dons have three wins over top 10 teams this season: 5-1 over No. 7 Cal in the Dante Benedetti Classic (4/1); 13-9 over No. 6 Stanford at Benedetti Diamond (5/6); and today's 6-3 win over No. 8 San Diego.
 - The Dons are 16-4 at Benedetti Diamond this season.