Box Score

ROHNERT PARK, Calif- The 2010 version of Sonoma State baseball started with a bang on Tuesday, as seniors Austin Hogans and Max Shupe supplied all of the offense and the Seawolves displayed stellar pitching from the mound en route to a 3-1 season-opening victory over San Francisco State at Seawolf Diamond.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Hogans reached base on a hit by pitch by AJ Comaskey with one out in the inning. Two batters later, Shupe went yard to left field on a 2-1 count to give the Seawolves the 2-1 lead.

Two innings later in the SSU half of the 7th inning, Hogans homered to right field on the first pitch he saw, giving Sonoma State the comfortable 3-1 lead and the eventual winning score.

The Seawolf pitching was dominant for the most part, striking out eight San Francisco State batters, while giving up just four hits, two walks and one earned run. Junior starting pitcher Scott Alexander went three innings, giving up just one hit and striking out three in the lefty's Sonoma State debut. Junior Brian Bordagaray, who earned the win in relief, came on for two innings, giving up the lone run to the Gators on a couple of wild pitches.

Junior Tyler Hess and sophomore Thomas Lee combined for three innings, giving up just one hit and striking out two before giving way to senior Brian Flint to close out the ballgame on just seven pitches in the top of the 9th inning. Flint, who led the team with seven saves last season, earned his first save of the season.

Both teams combined for just eight hits, including two by Shupe. Hogans and senior Brian Wright accounted for the other two.

For San Francisco State, Nick Bowerman was perfect on the day, going 2-for-2 with a walk. The Gators used seven different pitchers -- starter Nic Banaugh led the way with three strike outs, all coming to strike out the side in the bottom half of the first inning.

Sonoma State will hit the road for five straight games, including a four-game series at Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday and Saturday. After single game at San Francisco State next week (Feb. 9), the Seawolves will return home to host Western Oregon in a four-game series on Feb. 12-14. The Wolves, who are looking to grab its ninth consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference title in 2010, were tabbed at No. 18 in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Preseason poll.

Box Score: Sonoma State 3, San Francisco State 1