Gators Crush Toros Playoff Hopes With a Saturday Split

Junior Jonathan Keener had a double and home run in the nightcap

SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite playing some of the best baseball in the CCAA for the last six weeks, CSUDH was mathematically eliminated from the CCAA playoffs after losing the afternoon game 2-1, before bouncing back with a convincing 8-3 nightcap victory over host San Francisco State. Junior Jonathan Keener had a great nightcap with two runs and two RBIs on a double and a home run.

In the late game, SFSU (14-31, 9-26 CCAA) scored one run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. CSUDH (21-23, 16-19 CCAA) responded with three runs each in the second and third innings to grab control of the game.

After Keener led off the top of the second with a double, five more Toros reached base on three singles and two walks to take a 3-1 lead. Four CSUDH hits, highlighted by Keener's two-run home run, led to three more Toro runs to make the score 6-1 through three innings.

Adding one more run in the top of the fourth and fifth followed by a two-run bottom of the seventh for SFSU brought the game to its 8-3 final.

Game one turned out to be quite a pitcher's duel with CSUDH starter Josh Corrales going pitch-for-pitch with his SFSU counterpart. Through the first three innings, each team had only one hit each while combining for nine strikeouts.

The home team broke through first, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth on a triple followed by a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead.

With two outs in the seventh, the Toros rallied to tie the game on a Drew Rodela triple followed by an RBI single off the bat of Barrett Ceverha.

Corrales went seven strong, allowing only three hits and one run while striking out seven Gators.

SFSU won the first game on a two-out, walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth after the Toros almost escaped the inning. The Gators loaded the bases with no outs before grounding into a double play, but an intentional free pass to set up a force at any base went awry as another walk on a full count brought in the game winning run.

The Toros and Gators conclude their CCAA series in San Francisco Sunday May 1st with the first pitch set for 11:00am.

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