The San José State baseball team lost to the University of San Francisco 7-6 in a 13-inning showdown on Friday at Excite Ballpark.
The Spartans opened the three-game series with a loss and dropped the season series 2-1. The Dons defeated SJSU 9-3 on Sunday after the Spartans earned a 7-3 win Saturday, advancing the Spartans record to 3-4.
SJSU scored two runs in the third and seventh innings and tied the game with three runs in the ninth to make it 5-5.
USF tied the game in the ninth by scoring one run in the second, sixth, and seventh innings and two runs in the ninth.
Senior right-handed pitcher Kyle Calzadiaz said maintaining a strong mindset throughout the game was important, especially when players are relying on one another during key moments.
“I think just trying to be the best teammate you could always be, having your guys backs whether it’s the next guy walking up to bat or the next pitcher coming in,” Calzadiaz said.
Calzadiaz pitched five innings for the Spartans and recorded a game-leading eight strikeouts for an ERA of 1.80.
The Spartans’ bullpen recorded 21 strikeouts, compared to 13 for the Dons. Senior left-handed pitcher EJ McGrew and junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Albanese each recorded more than six strikeouts a piece.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Spartans secured a two-run single to cut the deficit to 5-4. They later tied the game off of an RBI.
SJSU Head Coach Brad Sanfilippo said the team did not make necessary adjustments offensively.
“I don’t think we played great baseball tonight,” Sanfilippo said.
“We’ve got to maximize some of the opportunities we had earlier to score and we just didn’t do that.”
The Spartans had 11 hits compared to the Dons’ nine, led by freshman infielder Peyton Rowles, who recorded three hits and scored two runs.
After neither team scored in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings, USF added two runs for the dagger in the 13th to take a 7-5 lead.
Senior shortstop Rocco Caballero said there were missed opportunities that could have changed the outcome.
“I just think we gave them a chance, there’s some opportunities where they advance in some areas that probably shouldn’t have,” Caballero said. “I think honestly just playing better defense and being able to hold them to just 90 feet instead of giving them free 90s is something we gotta do better.”
SJSU scored once in the bottom of the 13th, but the Dons held on to clinch the win.
Despite facing multiple setbacks throughout the game, Calzadiaz remained confident in his team’s resilience.
“I know we went down, we went down twice and both of those times we were able to come back, and that’s just the heart and grit that the Spartans have,” Calzadiaz said. “I think it’s something that no one could take away from us.”
The Spartans will open a four-game series at Saint Mary’s College of California at 6 p.m. Thursday at Louis Guisto Field at Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium in Moraga, California.
