NORMAN, Okla. — A battle of top arms unfolded under the lights Thursday night at No. 14/10 Oklahoma's Kimrey Family Stadium, where the Santa Clara University baseball team and the Sooners combined for 26 strikeouts and stranded 22 runners before host Oklahoma escaped with a 2-1 win in the nonconference series opener.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Max Bayles anchored the Broncos' (5-7) impressive pitching performance Thursday with 10 strikeouts in four shutout innings. Four Santa Clara arms combined to strike out 15 Oklahoma batters. Bayles silenced the Sooners (12-2), who entered the night hitting .313 and slugging .534 as a team, with four strikeouts to start the game and multiple Ks in all four of his frames, including striking out three in both the first and fourth innings. RY Meyn (1-1) struck out two in two innings of work, Josh Johnson fanned a batter in his shutout inning, and Chase Ruden threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth with two strikeouts.
   
• Traffic was scattered all over the base paths from the outset, with the Broncos stranding nine runners offensively and the Sooners leaving 13 on base. Six of Santa Clara's runners and nine of Oklahoma's were left in scoring position. Oklahoma left six runners on third base alone. Oklahoma loaded the bases in the first and fifth innings, only getting one run in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk. Its second – and eventual game-winning – run would score on an RBI groundout in the sixth.
   
• The Santa Clara offense threatened all night long, getting a runner into scoring position in the first, fourth, sixth and eighth innings. Will Anderson delivered a game-tying RBI single in the sixth to score Ben Cleary from first and make it 1-1. Anderson doubled in the eighth with the Broncos trailing, 2-1, and reached third base a batter later, but would be stranded there.
   
• Oklahoma's pitchers combined to strike out 11 Broncos. Seven of those came from starter Cameron Johnson, who only allowed one run and two hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Kadyn Leon (1-0) earned the win with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief. Gavyn Jones and Jackson Cleveland each added one K, with Cleveland earning the save.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 15: The Broncos' 15 strikeouts on the mound were a season high, their most since also striking out 15 versus San Diego on May 10 of last season.
• 30: Thomas Ferroggiaro extended his reached base safely streak to 30 consecutive games when he led off the game with a single. His streak includes 18 games at the end of the 2025 season.

COMING UP

• The series continues Friday with game two scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. PST start. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.