May 18, 2003

Sacramento State ruined the final game of the season for USF rallying for four runs in the fifth and holding off a late Dons' rally in the eighth in defeating San Francisco, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at Hornet Field.

San Francisco jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after a sacrifice fly by Armand Gaerlan. Jonnie Knoble led off the inning with a walk and then stole second base. After moving to third on a groundout by Cy Donald, Knoble scored on a drive by Gaerlan to right field.

Sacramento State answered back in the bottom of the inning after an RBI single by junior Mikela Olsen. Senior Tim Reimer led off the inning with a double to right field and was thrown out at home after a single by sophomore Bret LeVier. With one out, junior Jesse Schmidt was hit by a pitch to move LeVier to second. Olsen followed with a liner up the middle to score the Hornets' first run.

The Dons made it 2-1 in the second after an RBI groundout by Royce Fukuroku.

The Hornets took a 5-2 lead after scoring four runs on four hits and a three-base error by Don rightfielder Nick Tarbat in the fifth inning. Freshman Jim Strombach led off the inning with a single to center. Strombach advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Everet Rincon and then stole third. With one out, Reimer drew a walk and Schmidt followed with a single to left to score Strombach. In the next at-bat, Olsen hit a fly ball to right which carried to the right due to a gust of wind. Tarbat tracked the ball and positioned under it but the ball glanced off of his glove, allowing both runners to score and Olsen to advance to third. Junior John Acha followed with a single to left to tally the Hornets' final run of the inning.

San Francisco cut the margin to 5-4 in the eighth after an RBI double by Ryan Sittauer and a an RBI single by Ryan Hanson. Gaerlan off the inning by advancing to second on a fielding an throwing error by Rincon at short. With a Gaerlan on third and two outs, Sittauer double down the right-field line and Hanson followed with single to center. Junior Renecke Stelzriede, who entered the contest with a man on first and two out, ended the threat by getting Royce Fukuroku to fly out to center.

In the ninth, Tarbat drew a walk to lead off the inning but was gunned down at second by sophomore Matt Wilson to take the wind out of the Dons' come back.

Steve Cuckovich (7-4) earned the win after allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits while walking three and striking out two in 7.2 innings.

Stelzriede earned his team-leading fifth save after allowing no runs and no hits while walking one and striking out two in 1.1 innings of relief.

Derek Tate (2-4) earned the loss after allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits while walking two in 4.2 innings.

USF concluded the season 25-31.