SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara University baseball team scored more runs in a game Sunday than it had all weekend, but so did visiting Portland. The Pilots tied a season high with 16 runs on 22 hits as they completed a series sweep in both teams' first West Coast Conference weekend of the year with a 16-4 win at Stephen Schott Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Portland (13-8, 3-0 WCC) had nine extra-base hits on Sunday, including three home runs. Of the Pilots' 22 hits, perhaps the two biggest were Tyler Howard's one-out solo home run in the sixth inning that broke a 4-4 tie, and Jonas Salk's two-out, bases-clearing, three-run double later that same inning that made it 8-4. Portland's 22 hits were its most in a game since 2006.
   
• The Broncos (12-9, 0-3 WCC) rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth to erase an early 4-0 deficit. RBI singles from Michael O'Hara and Malcolm Williams, and a bases-loaded walk to Ben Steck, accounted for SCU's scoring. It was the first time Santa Clara broke through against Portland starter Sam Stuhr (1-1) who had thrown four scoreless innings to start the game despite entering the day with a 5.70 ERA.
   
• Portland reliever Curtis Hebert earned his third save of the season with four shutout innings. He retired 12 of 13 batters he faced, only allowing a two-out single to Efrain Manzo in the seventh. He retired seven in a row with three strikeouts to end the game.
   
• Five different Broncos had hits Sunday. Williams grabbed two RBIs with his two-run single in the fifth. Santa Clara put itself in position to score plenty of early runs. It had two in scoring position in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, and one in the fifth, but all were stranded outside of the four-run rally in the fifth.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 6: Ben Cleary extended his hitting streak to six games Sunday with a single in the second inning. He's sustained his hit streak while batting in the ninth spot of the lineup every game.
• 22: The 22 hits by Portland were the most allowed by the Broncos in nearly two years. Arizona State also had 22 hits at Schott Stadium on April 11, 2022.

NEXT UP
Santa Clara embarks on a four-game Bay Area road trip starting Monday across the Bay at Pac-12 Conference member California. They then head to The City starting Thursday for a three-game WCC series at San Francisco. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.