SAN JOSE, Calif. — No matter the opponent, no matter the score, no matter the inning… the Santa Clara University baseball team continues to fight in every game in 2024.
 
Tuesday was no different, as the Broncos faced a four-run deficit in the ninth.

Efrain Manzo homered and Santa Clara put the tying run on deck with one out, but a perfect relay from the outfield to home plate ended the game, as host San Jose State held off the Broncos, 5-2, in a non-conference rivalry clash at Excite Ballpark.
 
Tuesday's setback ended a streak of four consecutive come-from-behind wins for the Broncos (4-3), though they gave it a go anyway. Manzo hit his fourth home run of the season, a one-out solo shot, to make it 5-2, and Dylan Joyce followed with a knubber down the third base line for an infield single. A fly out put Santa Clara down to its last at-bat, but it still had some spark left.
 
Jordan Lewis hit a two-out double down the left field line, restarting the Broncos' comeback. Joyce tried scoring all the way from first base on a ball that rattled up against the wall in the left field corner. But the relay from San Jose State left fielder Robert Hamchuk to shortstop Theo Hardy to catcher Jake Maroney was right on point, and Maroney reached across the baseline to tag out Joyce just before his sliding foot touched the plate, ending the game.
 
Manzo and Coleman Brigman both had two hits for the Broncos, with Manzo driving in both of the Broncos' runs. A trio of newcomer pitchers had scoreless outings for Santa Clara. Former Sacramento City College teammates Brayden Dotoli and Victor Martinez went back-to-back in the third through sixth innings for 3 1/3 frames of shutout work. Freshman Max Bayles threw 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief to end the game for the Broncos.
 
The game stayed a 1-1 pitchers' duel through 6 1/2 innings until a four-run outburst by the Spartans (3-5) in the seventh. Four of the Spartans' first five hitters reached safely on two singles and two walks. A bases-loaded walk, passed ball, sacrifice fly, and RBI single from Sebastian Orduno accounted for the Spartans' winning rally in the inning.
 
Santa Clara next travels to Seattle for a three-game series at Washington. The series starts Friday night and runs through Sunday. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.