SAN FRANCISCO — More strong pitching was the highlight Saturday, and like Friday's opener, host San Francisco was able to stave off a late rally by the Santa Clara University baseball team to hold on for a slim, 2-1 win in game two of the teams' West Coast Conference series at Benedetti Diamond.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Santa Clara starter Jace Gillmore (1-3) handled the San Francisco lineup for 5 1/3 innings Saturday, but his only problem batter was the one who provided all the Dons' offense. TJ Rogers hit two solo homers for USF – one in the second and another in the fourth – to account for all his team's runs. Gillmore would strike out four and only allow two other base hits while pitching into the sixth inning for the second consecutive start.
   
• Broncos reliever Cooper Lanz continued his recent climb, throwing a season-long 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief. Lanz struck out three and only allowed one hit. It was his second consecutive outing without allowing a run and not issuing a walk.
   
• Santa Clara (9-12, 0-2 WCC) looked like it was going to tie the game in the ninth after Waylon Walsh drew a seven-pitch leadoff walk and Luke Devine tripled him home to make it 2-1. Devine stood on third base as the tying run with no outs, but a flyout to shallow left field – not deep enough to bring Devine home, a strikeout and an infield popup stranded Devine and ended the game.
   
• San Francisco's pitching was also on point Saturday. Starter Gauge Lockhart (3-1) threw five shutout innings with three strikeouts to earn the win. Kai Yovanovich threw a scoreless sixth, and Quentin Pohorski earned his third save of the year with three innings of relief, only surrendering two hits and that ninth-inning run to Santa Clara.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 10: San Francisco and Santa Clara combined to go 0 for 10 Saturday with runners in scoring position. The teams also combined for a total of 10 hits – five each.
• 20: Ben Cleary went 1 for 4 with a single in the first inning. That extended his active reached base streak to 20 games – 19 in 2026 and the last game of 2025.

COMING UP

• The series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.