AUSTIN, Texas — Timely two-out hitting and free base runners helped host and No. 12-ranked Texas get past a strong starting pitching performance from the Santa Clara University baseball team Sunday, giving the Longhorns a series sweep with a 6-1 non-conference victory at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Max Bayles (1-1) made his first start of the year for Santa Clara (7-7) and shined on the big stage. He struck out nine Longhorns in five innings of work, only allowing one earned run (two total). He struck out five of the last seven batters he faced and also struck out three consecutive from the second to third innings.
   
• The first run Texas (13-1) scratched across against Bayles was unearned. Following a four-pitch walk to start the bottom of the first, an eventual error on a pickoff attempt brought home Ethan Mendoza from third and put the Longhorns up, 1-0. That run came after the Broncos themselves had threatened to score in the top of the first with back-to-back one-out singles. But a double play on the very next pitch ended the threat.
   
• Bayles' only blip after that was a two-out solo home run to Jalin Flores in the third, making it 2-0. That kept Texas ahead when Santa Clara got on the board in the fourth inning. Ben Cleary led off with a double, then came home two batters later after consecutive groundouts, making it 2-1. Bayles threw scoreless fourth and fifth innings to keep the Broncos in it before coming out of the game.
   
• Free passes again began to plague Santa Clara in the late innings. Two walks and a double in the seventh loaded the bases, and a two-run single from Tommy Farmer IV made it 4-1 Texas – the rally starting after there were already two outs and the bases were empty. Three more walks in the eighth and another two-out, two-run single, this time by Mendoza, gave the Longhorns their final advantage at 6-1. In all, the Broncos walked seven on Sunday, part of 22 total walks issued in the series.
   
• Cleary finished 2 for 4, giving him back-to-back multi-hit games and three in his last four. Andrew Rayment (1 for 1, walk), Johnny Luetzow (1 for 3, walk) and Malcolm Williams (1 for 3) also had hits for Santa Clara.
   
• Texas starter Dylan Volantis (2-0) went 5 1/3 innings, only allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out three. Eight different Longhorns had one hit, while seven drew one walk each and five scored at least one run.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 20: Cleary stretched his active reached base safely streak to 20 games (dating to last season) Sunday with a single in the first inning. That also coincides with an active six-game hitting streak.
• 37: Bayles now has 37 strikeouts on the season. He's only 13 short of his season total a year ago (50), and 13 away from career strikeout No. 100.

COMING UP

• Santa Clara returns home for a single midweek matchup versus San Jose State on Wednesday before going on the road again Saturday, where it'll face Grand Canyon and No. 13 Oregon State in a doubleheader in Corvallis, Ore. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.