SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara University baseball team erased a deficit for the 12th time this season Wednesday, but visiting Connecticut took advantage of 12 free base runners to score in seven consecutive innings and gradually pull away from the Broncos for a 12-5 non-conference victory at Stephen Schott Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Broncos (9-10) wiped out a 2-0 Connecticut lead with a four-run rally in the second. Waylon Walsh hit the first triple of his career and scored on a passed ball on the very next pitch. Wild pitching from the Huskies (10-11) continued to help the Broncos in the inning, as Andrew Rayment got hit by a pitch, stole second base then scored on consecutive wild pitches, tying the game at 2-2. Max Ross' second double in as many innings put SCU ahead, 3-2, and he gave the Broncos a 4-2 lead when Luke Devine's RBI single brought him home.
   
• Connecticut whittled away over the next five innings to cut the lead, tie the game, then take its own lead for good. A leadoff home run by Tyler Minick in the third made it 4-3, and an unearned run in the fourth powered by a leadoff walk, passed ball, groundout and an error tied the game at 4-4. Two leadoff singles in the fifth led to a go-ahead sacrifice fly from Nater Wachter, and two RBI singles in the sixth made it 7-4.
   
• UConn busted out the big bats in the seventh to put the game away, getting a leadoff homer from Cam Righi and a two-run double from Rob Ripsoli to make it 10-4. Three walks in the inning also powered the rally – part of 11 walks and one hit-by-pitch the Huskies drew Wednesday. But one of Santa Clara's four double plays turned on the night also helped mitigate the damage. A walk, back-to-back singles and another sacrifice fly brought the Huskies' last two runs of the game across in the eighth.
   
• Ross paced Santa Clara offensively with a 3-for-4 night that included two doubles. Mateo Garcia went 2 for 4 with a triple, and Devine drove in a run. Kai Cunningham and Bryant Viskovich provided bright spots off the bench in the ninth, with Cunningham doubling and Viskovich singling him home for the game's final run.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 2: Ross' two doubles Wednesday matched a career and season high (also vs. UNLV on Feb. 27) and pulled him into a three-way tie for fifth among West Coast Conference leaders, only one behind the top number of eight (four players tied with eight doubles).
• 3: Ross tied a career high with three hits, the fourth time in his career he's done that and third time this season alone.
• 4: Santa Clara's four double plays turned Wednesday are the most two'fers it's turned in a single game since at least 2011 – a span of 16 seasons.

COMING UP

• Santa Clara opens WCC play on the road at rival San Francisco with a three-game series starting Friday. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.