SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The 2024 Santa Clara baseball team is just never out of a game in 2024.
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The Broncos were down two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Saturday and were able to tie it with a clutch home run, and they brought the tying run to the plate again in extra innings, but UC Davis was finally able to prevail, holding off Santa Clara and evening the series with an 8-6, 14-inning, non-conference win at Stephen Schott Stadium.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Coleman Brigman, Santa Clara's offensive fire starter Friday night, gave the Broncos (8-5) a shot in the 14th inning to repeat the magic they just conjured five innings earlier. His one-out single not only brought the tying run to the plate, but it brought the ninth-inning hero, Michael O'Hara, to the plate with a shot to do it again.
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- Things wouldn't play out the same way this time, however. Three total strikeouts in the inning, including two in a row with the winning run on deck, would end the game and hand the 8-6 victory to UC Davis (8-6).
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- O'Hara hit his first home run of the year in the bottom of the ninth with Santa Clara staring down defeat, trailing 6-4 and with two outs already on the board. He launched a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall to tie it at 6-6 and bring elation back to Schott Stadium. Efrain Manzo followed that with a double down the left field line, but the winning run would be stranded at second when Dylan Joyce grounded out on the very next pitch.
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- While it was a two-run home run the Broncos were looking for to tie it again in the bottom of the 14th, and it was a two-run home run that did tie it in the ninth inning… it was also a two-run home run that eventually sank the Broncos Saturday. Riley Acosta hit a two-run shot over the right field wall on the first pitch he saw in the top of the 14th to put the Aggies back on top at 8-6. They'd leave the bases loaded and miss a chance to cushion their lead after Victor Martinez entered to get the final out of the inning.
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- Ironically, it was UC Davis' Sal Batres (1-1) who earned the victory on the mound with two shutout innings of relief and three strikeouts. He entered Saturday with an 11.57 ERA and an 0-1 record, and was able to hold off the Broncos' last-gasp rally effort in the 14th. Meanwhile, it was UCD's Carter Delaney who surrendered O'Hara's game-tying homer after he carried a 1.17 ERA and a 1-0 record into the game.
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- Six Broncos turned in multi-hit games, led by O'Hara with three hits. Ben Steck went 2 for 4 with his second home run in as many days. His three-run shot in the second erased a 2-0 deficit and put Santa Clara ahead at 3-2. JonJon Berring had two hits with a triple and a stolen base, Manzo was 2 for 6 with a double and a walk, Joyce was 2 for 5 with a walk, and Malcolm Williams went 2 for 6 with a stolen base.
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- UC Davis had four multi-hit performances of its own, led by Alex Gouveia's three knocks. Acosta finished with a game-high-tying three RBIs.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- 4: O'Hara's ninth-inning game-tying home run Saturday was Santa Clara's fourth tying or go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later this season. Berring has two of them with a two-run go-ahead shot in the ninth at Arizona State on Feb. 18 and a walk-off grand slam in the ninth versus UMBC on Feb. 25. Williams hit a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the 15th on Saturday at Washington.
- 10: The Santa Clara pitching staff tallied 10 strikeouts. It was the fourth time this season the Broncos have had at least 10 Ks as a staff, and first since having 14 in 15 innings at Washington on Saturday.
- 15 and 18: Berring's active reached base streak and Williams' active hitting streak were both extended to 15 games and 18 games, respectively, Saturday. Berring had two base hits, and Williams extended his hitting streak with a single in his first at-bat. Both streaks date back to last season.
NEXT UP
The rubber match of the series is scheduled for a noon first pitch on Sunday. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
