SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The scoreboard was full of crooked numbers Sunday, but first-place San Diego had the most crooked of them all, scoring 13 runs in the third inning to pull away from a Santa Clara University baseball team whose offense was also hot and win, 25-9, on Senior Day at Stephen Schott Stadium to clinch a West Coast Conference series victory.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Santa Clara offense continued its hot stretch, posting double-digit hits (12) for the ninth time in 12 games and scoring at least seven runs for the eighth time in that same stretch. Three different Broncos logged multi-hit games, the lineup hit two home runs for its sixth multi-homer game in the last 11, and they collected nine free passes (seven walks, two hit-by-pitches) for the fourth time in as many games this week.
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- The Broncos (20-27, 7-14 WCC) created plenty of scoring chances but left 12 runners on base, including six in scoring position. They loaded the bases twice, including in the sixth after three consecutive two-out walks, but came up short of capitalizing as the rally ended on a popup behind second base. Two defensive miscues during San Diego's (22-28, 16-5 WCC) 13-run third inning contributed to 10 unearned runs.
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- The game's biggest turning point came in the bottom of the second, even before San Diego exploded for 13 runs on 10 hits, two walks and two Santa Clara errors in the top of the third. After San Diego built a 6-0 lead with a five-run top half, Santa Clara responded in a big way. Luke Devine crushed a three-run homer, followed immediately by a solo blast from Thomas Ferroggiaro, cutting the deficit to 6-4. The rally kept rolling with back-to-back singles and a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Johnny Luetzow then drove a deep fly ball to the warning track in left-center, but San Diego center fielder Austin Smith tracked it down and crashed into the wall to end the inning and keep the Toreros in front. San Diego followed with its scoring outburst in the top of the third.
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- Devine led the Broncos at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a home run, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored — finishing just a triple shy of the cycle. Ferroggiaro added a 2-for-4 performance, driving in three runs and scoring twice. Ben Cleary went 2 for 3 and doubled.
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- Plenty of Broncos seniors saw game action Sunday in the final home games of their careers. Dylan Joyce and Malcolm Williams were both in the starting lineups. Thomas Gould entered as a defensive replacement in the fifth and went 1 for 2 with a run scored. Senior lefty Sebastian Schreiber threw an inning of relief. Santa Clara also honored lefty starting pitcher Brandon Gomez, left-handed reliever Davis Franklin, righties Josh Johnson and Victor Martinez, and two team managers – Kellan Hutchinson and Kenneth Pan – in a pregame ceremony.
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- All but one starter in the Toreros' starting lineup had a multi-hit game. San Diego scored 25 runs on 21 hits, collecting 23 RBIs along the way with five home runs and four doubles. Rex Watson led the way, going 4 for 5 with a home run, a double, four runs scored and two RBIs. Isaiah Lane tallied six RBIs thanks in part to his second-inning grand slam while going 2 for 6 and scoring three times. Smith did everything for San Diego on Sunday, shutting down the Broncos' second-inning threat on defense, going 3 for 5 at the plate with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored, and also throwing two innings of shutout, no-hit relief with three strikeouts to end the game.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- 5: Joyce reached base five times, drawing three walks, getting hit by a pitch and hitting an RBI double. His on-base percentage raised to a team-best .418.
- 36: Sunday's game took 3 hours, 22 minutes, to play seven innings. The game was longer than 36 of the Broncos' games this season that have gone at least nine innings, including longer than two extra-innings games.
COMING UP
- Santa Clara heads to the East Bay for a three-game West Coast Conference series at Saint Mary's starting Thursday. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
