Spartans Fall in 13-Inning Battle with San Francisco

SJSU baseball team loses heartbreaker in extra innings

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The San José State baseball team (2-3, 0-0 MW) fell to San Francisco (4-1, 0-0 WCC) in a 13-inning thriller, 7-6, on Friday afternoon at Excite Ballpark. The Spartans rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but the Dons scored two runs in the 13th to secure the victory.

Why it matters

This was a tough loss for the Spartans, who were looking to bounce back after a slow start to the season. The game showcased the team's resilience, as they fought back to tie it in the ninth, but ultimately came up short against a strong San Francisco squad.

The details

SJSU tallied 11 hits, led by a three-hit performance from Peyton Rowles. The Spartans trailed 5-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, but rallied to tie the game on a two-run single by Brent Cota and a sacrifice bunt RBI by Vincent Gamberdella. The teams traded zeros through the 10th, 11th and 12th innings, before San Francisco pushed across two runs in the top of the 13th to take a 7-5 lead. SJSU answered in the bottom half, but couldn't complete the comeback.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • SJSU and San Francisco will face off again on Saturday, February 22, 2026 at 1:05 p.m.

The players

Kyle Calzadiaz

The Spartans' starting pitcher, who worked five innings and struck out eight batters.

EJ McGrew

SJSU relief pitcher, who struck out seven and allowed two earned runs across 3.2 innings.

Tyler Albanese

Spartans relief pitcher, who delivered three scoreless innings and struck out six to keep SJSU in the game late.

Peyton Rowles

SJSU outfielder, who went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.

Alex Fernandes

Spartans infielder, who reached base four times, finishing 2-for-4 with two walks, an RBI and two runs scored.

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What they’re saying

“This was a tough loss, but our team showed a lot of fight to battle back and tie the game in the ninth. We'll regroup and come back strong tomorrow.”

— Peyton Rowles (sjsuspartans.com)

What’s next

The Spartans will face San Francisco again on Saturday, February 22, 2026 at 1:05 p.m. at Excite Ballpark.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, this game showcased the Spartans' resilience and ability to fight back, even against a strong opponent like San Francisco. The team will look to build on this performance and even the series on Saturday.