The SF State men’s baseball team returned to the diamond today to play the first of four conference games against the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros. Having lost their last two games, the Gators failed to snap their losing streak as they were defeated by the Toros 6-4.

Cal State Dominguez Hills took advantage of SF State’s mental lapse in the infield and made a late inning rally. After a solo home run by senior infielder Barrett Ceverha to deep left field in the top of the fourth inning and a two-run single by senior third baseman Matt Faigh in the sixth, it was Kyle Pond, a senior catcher/DH who came up big for the Toros.

Pond hit the cover off a ball to left field for a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning off junior pitcher Steven Dea to give his team a 6-4 lead. The Gators finished with 12 hits, but also committed six errors in the game.

The starting pitcher for SF State was Branden Petrangelo. The junior threw 118 pitches allowing three earned runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. Junior outfielders Trevor Pasiecznik and Dustin Wold led the way for the Gators as they drove in all four of their team’s runs.

SF State is 13-30 overall and 8-25 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association while Cal State Dominquez Hills is 20-22 and 15-18 in the CCAA. Both teams will be on hand for three more games at Maloney field beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday followed by the series finale on Sunday.