Box Score SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball walked it off for the second time in three games and again it was Coleman Brigman with the game-winning hit.
The Broncos (14-7, 3-1 WCC), who were down to their final strike and down two runs in the ninth, rallied and finished off LMU (6-14-1, 3-1 WCC) in the 10th on C. Brigman's single over the head of the left fielder.
The Brigman brothers both came up clutch with Dawson singling home a run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to keep Santa Clara's rally going. On the very next pitch, the Broncos tied things up on a wild pitch.
Cole Kitchen nearly ended up with the hard luck loss despite a career-night on the mound. He went a career-high 8 2/3 innings with a career-best 15 strikeouts. Kitchen allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits and walked just one, the first batter of the game.
Matching Kitchen was Diego Barrera who had his gem wasted when Owen Hackman blew the save in the ninth. Barrera went 8 innings, surrendering just a run on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Hackman (1-1) ended up with the loss in 1-plus inning of work, allowing three runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
On the other side, Nick Sando (3-0) got the win with 2/3 of an inning of perfect relief, following Blake Hammond's 2/3 innings of perfect relief.
The late-night dramatics began when Jared Thomas broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a two-run home run over the right field wall that looked like it was going to be the difference.
The game had been tied at 1-all since the second. The Lions took advantage of an error in the first to score an unearned run and in the bottom of the second JonJon Berring brought home Matt Jew all the way from first with a double to the right center field gap.
NEXT UP
The teams play game two tomorrow at 1 p.m.
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