For the second game in a row, Sacramento State starting pitcher Tanner Mendonca struggled to find the strike zone Tuesday.

After Mendonca walked a season-high five batters April 29 against San Jose State, he was given another chance Tuesday, and once again things did not go well.

In the first inning, Mendonca hit two batters and gave up a deep home run to center field  and the Hornets could never recover, losing to the University of San Francisco, 10-1.

Head coach Reggie Christiansen said he wanted to give Mendonca the chance to create some confidence after his previous start.

“It is all in his mind right now,” Christiansen said. “He is just lacking confidence, but he will be okay.”

After starting the season with 2-1 while only allowing four earned runs in his first three starts, Mendonca has given up eight earned runs in the last three innings he has pitched.

Christiansen said even with his pitcher battling to find confidence, Mendonca will stay in the rotation and is scheduled to pitch Sunday against Fresno State.

“I’m hoping to be really good this week and help my team win a series,” Mendonca said. “I know and understand I’m a good pitcher, I just haven’t been able to do that. I believe in myself and my coach believes in me and I’m going to turn things around.”

Pitching was not the only thing that plagued the Hornets.

After averaging more than seven runs a game against San Jose State on the road last weekend, Sac State could only muster one run against San Francisco pitching.

Only center fielder Justin Higley and shortstop Scotty Burcham finished with a multi-hit game – each with a pair of singles.

“We just came out a little flat today,” Higley said. “We didn’t really have a good (batting practice) before the game and it looks like out minds were in another place.”

With the Hornets down by three runs after the first inning, San Francisco’s offense continued to pressure, scoring runs in the second and third innings.

The Dons finally broke away with a two-run home run by Matt Chavez in the fifth inning to give them an 8-0 lead.

“It is really hard when you give up that many runs early to get back in the game,” Christiansen said. “You have to give a lot of credit to their pitching.”

San Francisco came into the came ranked fifth in the West Coast Conference in pitching but in its last four games, the Dons have given up a total of three runs.

Sac State will head on its last road trip of the season as it travels to Fresno State this Friday to take on the Bulldogs (18-22, 2-7).

“We just need to get back to playing hard,” Christiansen said. “We didn’t play hard today.”

Ryan Kuhn can be reached at @rskuhn