While playing hard has been a theme this season for the SF State Gator baseball team, winning the close games hasn’t.

In front of about 40 spectators on April 19, the Gators dropped a tough 10-inning game by a score of 5-4 to the Bethany College Bruins (12-20, 5-4 CCAA), and fell to 17-29 overall this season with eight games left to play, including their next six away from home.

In the second inning, with the score deadlocked at zero, the Gators’ Kris Gibson stepped up to the plate with a chance to break things open. Gibson, a 23-year-old international relations major, promptly drove the ball deep to right center field for a triple, just missing a home run.

“Their pitcher had a nasty splitter, and I was looking for the ball up in the zone, just something to hit,” Gibson said.

Gibson later scored on a ground out to the shortstop by infielder Andreas Madsen to open up the scoring.

Madsen was again involved in the Gator run production, this time in the third inning when he hit a single that scored Michael Solis to take the early 2-0 lead against the Bruins. The Gators held this advantage through four innings.

But the game took a sharp turn in the top of the fifth inning as the Gators’ defense let them down on what should have been two routine ground balls.

Bruin Luis Cruz opened the fifth by reaching second on a two-base throwing error. Austin Cisson walked and Brian Reiner reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Cruz scored to make it 2-1 on another Gator throwing error.

With one out, Bubba Kirby hit a two-run double down the left field line to score Cisson with the tying run and Reiner with the go-ahead run, making it 3-2 in favor of the Bruins.

Gator assistant coach John Schmitz said it’s difficult to win games when a team commits too many errors.

“Anytime you have two or three errors in a game, especially when it’s a tight one, nine times out of 10, you don’t come up on top,” Schmitz said.

The Bruins added an insurance run in the eighth inning on a double by Cisson that scored Cruz.

However, the Gators didn’t let those errors dictate their offense.

Madsen got a Gator rally started with a single in the bottom of the eighth. Gator coach Matt Markovich went to his bench for support and called on his cousin, pinch hitter Ron Markovich.

He didn’t disappoint as he hit a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. But the Gators could only muster one run. Again, it was Madsen involved in the scoring as he scored on a wild pitch by Bruins pitcher Jacob McKinley to bring the Gators within one run at 4-3.

With players and fans rallying the team for support, the Gators fed off that energy and were able to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning as outfielder Carlos Medina hit a one-out triple to left center field.

Down to their last out, Gator first baseman Christopher Watters hit a triple down the left field line to plate Medina and send the game into extra innings at 4-4.

But it wasn’t meant to be as the Bruins took care of business in the top of the tenth inning.

The Bruins’ Nick Miller hit a one-out single and later advanced to second base on a ground out by John Huffman. With two outs, Cruz hit a double to left center to score Miller with the winning run making the score 5-4.

It's been an up-and-down season for the Gators. Coach Markovich said the team had high expectations for a successful season which included a possible trip to the College World Series, but the team has suffered through injuries to key players and has struggled to find their stride.

"It’s been a difficult season for us, (and) we had a lot of hopes and goals this year," Markovich said. "This was our best team talent-wise."

The Gators don’t return to action until April 29 when they play their next six games on the road, starting with Cal State Los Angeles.

Coach Markovich is optimistic about the upcoming road trip, though.

"It’s realistic to win all six," Markovich said. "I just want to play well ... (and) end the year in a good way."