SAN FRANCISCO — The Stanislaus State baseball team has won its third Friday game to start a series — that's because ace Joe Ryan was on the mound.

Ryan was once again brilliant as he and Chase Wheatcroft combined to throw a two-hit shutout to lead the Warriors over San Francisco State, 2-0, Friday afternoon. The Warriors improved to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in the CCAA. 

The only time Stan State did not win a Friday game was on Feb. 16 when the Warriors lost to No. 9 Chico State, 1-0, in the best pitching duel in the CCAA.

On this Friday afternoon, Ryan struck out 10 batters in eight innings and gave up just two singles. He retired the first 16 Gators he faced and only allowed one baserunner to reach second. That baserunner — Jason Hare — had walked with one out in the sixth for Ryan's only mistake all afternoon. In four starts, Ryan has worked 27 innings and struck out 34. He lowered his ERA to 0.67.

Wheatcroft threw an easy ninth inning and needed just eight pitches to earn his fifth save.

San Francisco State (2-8, 2-3 CCAA) also had its ace on the mound in Matthew Hernandez. He gave up two runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

Stan State scored in the fifth when Andrew Wheat came in on a throwing error on a grounder off the bat of Ethan Utler. Jack Large's ground out to short in the seventh scored Wheat to make it 2-0.

Wheat went 2-for-4 and scored twice to stay hot. He's now 12 for 20 for the season (10 for his last 17 plate appearances with two walks). He and Jarrett Veiga (2-for-3) both doubled. Braeden Oki also had two hits.

The four-game set continues on Saturday with a doubleheader back in San Francisco starting at 11 a.m.