SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Shutdown pitching, patience at the plate and timely hitting were the ingredients the Santa Clara University baseball team used Tuesday to shut down visiting Stanford and cook up a 4-2 win, as the Broncos beat their El Camino Real rivals in a non-conference game at Stephen Schott Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Santa Clara's first hit of the night was its biggest. The Broncos (19-18) were no-hit by Stanford starter Ryan Speshyock (0-2) through the first three innings, and they'd get outhit by the Cardinal (17-21), 8-5, in the game. Even the go-ahead rally SCU started in the fourth was put together with no base hits. Robert Hipwell started it with a leadoff walk, Ben Steck was hit by a pitch for a team-leading 14th time this season to put two on, and Coleman Brigman drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with one out.
   
• Redshirt freshman Kai Cunningham was sent to the plate as a pinch-hitter in a big spot, looking at two outs and the bases loaded, the Broncos trailing, 1-0. He didn't wait long to prove he belonged in the moment, hitting the first pitch he saw to right field for a single, tying the game at 1-1. The play wasn't over there, though. Cunningham's hit got past Stanford right fielder Cort MacDonald and allowed Steck and Brigman to come around and score as well, giving the Broncos a 3-1 lead.
   
• Santa Clara pitchers took it from there. Josh Johnson (3-1) threw two shutout innings with four strikeouts to earn the win. Blake Hammond also struck out four in 2 1/3 innings of work, and freshman Max Bayles earned his third save of the year with a scoreless, hitless ninth. Broncos pitchers struck out 13 for the second consecutive game after also doing so Saturday night against Sacramento State.
   
• Stanford left two runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings for six total. It managed only a single run in the second inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from nine-hole hitter Temo Becerra to take an early 1-0 lead. The Cardinal left nine on base in the game, seven of those in scoring position.
   
• Santa Clara only had two hits through seven innings before getting three consecutive hits in the eighth to tack on an insurance run, making it 4-2. Malcolm Williams' opposite-field double down the right field line put two runners in scoring position. Jordan Lewis chopped a ball up the first base line and was able to avoid the tag while Brigman scored.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 2 of 3: The Broncos have won two of their last three meetings against Stanford, and are 3-3 against the Cardinal in the teams' last six games.
• 13: Santa Clara's 13 strikeouts on the mound marked 14th game this season its pitchers have reached double-digit strikeouts. They've had six such games in the month of April.

NEXT UP

• Santa Clara returns to West Coast Conference play on Friday when it hosts East Bay rival Saint Mary's for a three-game series. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links at SantaClaraBroncos.com.