The SF State baseball team split a four-game series on the road against Western Oregon last weekend for its first victories of the season away from the Swamp. The Gators looked to take that momentum into their home game against Sonoma State on Monday Feb. 18.

However, the pitching staff drained from the weekend going against one of the top teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association spelled one thing: disaster.

Leading 1-0 after two innings, the Seawolves scored seven runs in both the third and fourth to bust the game open as Sonoma State went on to win 20-6 for a non-conference win. Sonoma (9-1) beat the Gators 22-0 and 6-3 earlier this season.

Spencer Kreisberg started on the mound for the Gators (3-7) and aggravated a groin injury in the first inning. After allowing a run in the first two innings, the sophomore pitcher didn’t get out of the third. Kreisberg gave up seven runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout in two innings.

Kreisberg (1-2) struggled to throw strikes and fell behind in the count to a dangerous Sonoma State lineup. Kreisberg was then forced to come in with the fastball, he said.

“I guess I lost too much focus,” Kreisberg said of his ability to throw strikes.

Kreisberg gave up a home run to Cameron Cook to lead off the third and didn’t retire any of the next five batters before leaving the game. Despite the injury, SF State coach Tony Dress said Kreisberg should be fine for when the Gators open league play against Cal State Stanislaus this weekend.

Dress said he could tell his pitcher was hurting on the mound.

“I could tell something was wrong,” Dress said. “He had pulled it a little bit.”

SF State used six pitchers that combined to give up 18 hits and walk eight batters.

“The tail of the tape is we have to throw strikes,” Dress said. “We can’t walk guys and then give up a ball down the middle and expect them not to drive them in.”

Ernie Munoz went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Gators while Evan Romanchuk finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Matt Edgecombe went 1-for-3 with an RBI, but left the game in the top of the sixth when he sprained his ankle chasing a ball in the outfield. After the game, Edgecombe said he’s going have to wait and see how it feels for this weekend.

“Sonoma is a top-flight team,” Dress said. “We strive to get to that point.”

After losing to Western Oregon 3-0 in the first game of the series on Feb. 14, SF State came back the next day to take the first game of a doubleheader 10-4.

The Gators got a solid perfor-mance on the mound from Beau Moorehead (1-2) who scattered nine hits through seven innings, allowed two earned runs and struck out two for his first win as a Gator.

Leading 5-4 in the eighth, SF State took advantage of three errors in the inning by Western Oregon (6-7) and scored five runs to seal the win.

Bobby Carini went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scored four runs for SF State. Matt Kavanaugh finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored while Edgecombe went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Gators.

The Gators lost the second game of the doubleheader to the Wolves 8-2. But the Gators won the series finale 4-2 behind a complete game from Zach Beal. After giving up two runs in the first inning, Beal (1-2) didn’t allow a run the rest of the game. Beal pitched nine innings and allowed one earned run on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

In the sixth, RBI-singles from Jeff McCall and Edgecombe gave the Gators a 3-2 lead. And in the seventh, Carini added an insurance run with an RBI-single, which was more than enough for Beal.

“We’re coming along,” Dress said. “And I’m not overselling it.”

The Gators begin conference play when they take on Cal State Stanislaus in a four-game series starting Friday Feb. 22 at the Swamp at 2 p.m. SF State then travels to Turkock for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. and back at home on Sunday at 12 p.m.