BERKELEY, Calif. — The Santa Clara University baseball team did Monday what it's done all season long – rallied late to take a lead. But this time it was the opponent who'd have the last word, as host California hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to avoid defeat and beat the Broncos, 6-4, in a non-conference game at Stu Gordon Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Broncos (12-10) led 4-3 in the ninth inning after scoring two runs in the top of the eighth to go ahead. They had rallied all the way back from trailing 3-0 in the fifth to take a late-innings lead. It marked the sixth time this season they've taken a lead or tied a game in the seventh inning or later after trailing.
   
• They still looked to be in control in the ninth, even after the tying run reached third and the winning run was walked. The double play was in order and even if the tying run scored, they could get another out and head to extras on the road at a Power-5 opponent. Not bad for being down 3-0 earlier in the game.
   
• Jarren Advencula, the Golden Bears' (15-7) next batter, cast a brief silence over the stadium when his long fly ball disappeared at the right field wall. Michael O'Hara leaped up and over the wall just as it passed, and as he fell down to the ground, it looked as though he may have made the catch. But a couple moments later, the umpire spun his right hand in a circular motion above his head to signal a home run, and subsequently, the end of the game.
   
• The Broncos entered the eighth trailing, 3-2, and started their go-ahead rally with a leadoff walk from O'Hara. Efrain Manzo singled and Ben Steck also walked to load the bases with no outs. Malcolm Williams' RBI groundout tied the game at 3-3, and Thomas Ferroggiaro laid down a safety squeeze bunt to score Manzo from third and put the Broncos ahead, 4-3.
   
• Santa Clara got strong pitching performances from Jace Gillmore, who threw a season-long 5 2/3 and only made one mistake – a first pitch, three-run home run to California's leading home run hitter Caleb Lomavita in the fifth. He only allowed one other hit outside of that. Caleb Wooster and Sebastian Schreiber both threw outings of 2/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout each.
   
• JonJon Berring pulled the Broncos within one in the fifth inning with a towering two-run home run over the right-center field wall. It was his sixth home run of the year, but his first since Feb. 25, and marked his first RBIs since March 5.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 0 for 10: Santa Clara went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. That included six strikeouts with a runner on second or third, four of those after it had become a one-run game.
• 7: Ben Cleary singled in the second inning Monday to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He's raised his season average by 78 points during his streak, from .189 to .267.

NEXT UP
Santa Clara heads up the peninsula for a three-game West Coast Conference series at San Francisco starting Thursday. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.