SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Double-digit hits at the plate and nine Ks on the mound wasn't enough Friday for the Santa Clara University baseball team to overcome a nearly identical performance from visiting Saint Mary's, who scored eight runs on 10 hits of its own and struck out 10 to win the teams' West Coast Conference series opener, 8-1, at Stephen Schott Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Traffic on the base paths wasn't a problem Friday for the Broncos (13-19, 3-7 WCC), who notched double-figure base hits for the 11th time this season. SCU's problem was leaving those baserunners stranded. The Broncos left 11 runners on base, at least one in eight of nine innings, and six in scoring position. Santa Clara went 1 for 7 (.143) with runners in scoring position and 3 for 17 (.176) with runners on base anywhere.
   
• Santa Clara didn't draw a walk at the plate for the first time in three weeks (since March 20 at San Francisco) and only got one free pass, a Thomas Ferroggiaro hit-by-pitch in the sixth. Saint Mary's starter John Damozonio (6-1) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings of work, only allowing one run while throwing 109 pitches. Talin Gardini backed him up with two innings of shutout relief, striking out two more and only allowing two hits with no walks.
   
• The Gaels (19-14, 6-4 WCC) got to Santa Clara starter Max Bayles (3-2) in the third, scoring three runs on only two base hits. Bayles had struck out five in the first two innings, but the Gaels wore him down in the third with a leadoff double, walk, sacrifice bunt, RBI fielder's choice, stolen base, a single and a sac fly, and suddenly it was 3-0. A run-scoring double play in the fourth and a two-out RBI single in the fifth made it 5-1.
   
• Saint Mary's put the game out of reach with another crooked number in the six, scoring three more runs on three hits and two free passes (walk, hit-by-pitch) to make it 8-1. The Gaels, in contrast to Santa Clara, went 5 for 14 (.357) with runners in scoring position and 7 for 19 (.368) with runners on base anywhere Friday.
   
• Santa Clara looked like it was going to jump right back into the game in the fourth after three consecutive leadoff singles on only five pitches brought in its first run, making it 4-1 at the time. A sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position with one out, but a first-pitch popped up bunt and a three-pitch strikeout immediately silenced the rally.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 11: Johnny Luetzow singled in the fifth inning Friday and extended his reached base streak to 11. He's only not reached base once in his 18 games played this season.
• 15: Bayles struck out six and is now only 15 strikeouts away from 10th on the all-time career strikeouts list. He has 224 career Ks and needs 239 to tie Joe Diefenderfer (2000-03) and Walt Kaczmarek (1971-74).

COMING UP

• The series continues with game two at 1 p.m. Saturday. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.