Box Score SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball overcame a five-run deficit in the early going and scored 10 unanswered runs to beat Saint Mary's 8-5 Thursday night in the series opener.
Down 5-0 after three thanks to some sloppy defense, the Broncos (18-14, 7-6) responded by scoring in each of their final four times at bat, including five in the bottom of the eighth to take their first lead of the game.
With the bases loaded and no outs thanks to a walk, hit by pitch, and single, Alex Lambeau smoked what would end up as the game-winning single up the middle to bring in the first two runs of the inning.
Lambeau finished the night 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Both JonJon Berring and Matt Jew collected three RBIs with Berring adding two hits, including a triple, and a run scored.
Nick Sando (4-2) ended up with the win out of the bullpen. He didn't allow a hit with three walks and two strikeouts over the final two innings but did make things interesting by loading the bases in the ninth before closing things out.
Cole Kitchen started and was undone a bit by his defense. In 5 innings he allowed five runs, but just one earned, on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Alex Reelfs also did his job to keep the Broncos within range in two perfect innings, striking out three, as the first man out of the bullpen.
The Gaels (20-14, 4-9 WCC) stretched a 1-0 lead to 5-0 in the third behind two Santa Clara errors and a pair of wild pitches but they wouldn't be able to score again.
Christian Almanza got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the first and finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs while also adding a double. Blake McDonald also added two hits and an RBI.
Jackson Hulett (3-2) suffered the loss in relief. He allowed a run on one hit in 2/3 of an inning but it was Nathan Schneider who got hit hardest in the eighth. He didn't retire a batter and allowed four runs on two hits with two walks.
NOTES
- Santa Clara now has six games with double-digit runs scored.
- Bronco pitching now has 17 games with double-digit strikeouts. They fanned 11 tonight.
- Eamonn Lance extended his on-base streak to 17 games and Efrain Manzo extended his to 10 games.
NEXT UP
The teams play game two tomorrow at 6 p.m.
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