March 28, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - On a very pleasant night weather wise, the Santa Clara University baseball team took the opening game of a three-game series with Pepperdine by a score of 10-2 Friday night at Buck Shaw Stadium. The win moved the Broncos' record to 11-18 overall and 3-3 in West Coast Conference while dropping the Waves to 14-13 overall and 5-2 in league play.
Pepperdine got the scoring started off in the top of the first inning as Kevin Estrada led off the game with a solo home run over the left field fence, giving the Waves a 1-0 lead. Despite giving up a single and a walk later in the inning, Santa Clara starter Matt Travis settled down and did not allow another run in the inning.
The Broncos answered right back in the bottom of the first as leadoff hitter Scott Dierks connected on his eighth home run of the season, and fourth in the last four games, with a solo shot over the left field fence to knot the score at one apiece.
SCU continued to put the pressure on Pepperdine in the bottom of the second inning as three runs on four hits forced Waves' starter Brandon Boesch from the game. Boesch allowed four runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings of work as Dierks' RBI double gave the Broncos a 4-1 lead forcing Pepperdine to make a change.
Dierks continued his stellar night as he drove in Michael Lange, who reached on a single to center field, with his second double of the evening, giving him three RBI on the night. He would score his second run of the night one batter later at A.J. LaBarbera singled through the right side, pushing Santa Clara's lead up to 6-1.
James Johnson, who came on in relief for Pepperdine in the second inning was forced from the game in the bottom of the fifth inning after giving up back-to-back walks to Jack Headley and Jim Wallace and a RBI double to Michael Thompson. Thompson's double moved the score to 7-1 in favor of Santa Clara when Bobby Hobbs came on in relief for the Waves. Hobbs got two outs over the next three batters, preventing the Broncos from increasing their lead anymore in the fifth.
Santa Clara added another run in the sixth inning as Jason Matteucci, who reach on a single earlier in the inning, scored from third base on a loop single to right field by Wallace, giving the Broncos an 8-1 advantage.
Steven Kleen moved from his designated hitter role to relief pitcher for the Waves in the eighth inning and gave up two runs, one of which was unearned, on only one hit. Matteucci reached on a walk and moved up to second on a wild pitch. He moved to third on a fly out to right field by Will Thompson before scoring on another wild pitch. Headley reached base and advanced to second on a fielding error by David Uribes. He would score one batter later at Michael Thompson picked up his second RBI of the game with a single to center field, moving the Bronco lead up to 10-1.
Chris Kelly gave Pepperdine another run in the top of the ninth inning as he belted a long home run over the left center field fence, narrowing the SCU lead down to 10-2.
Travis was stellar for the Broncos after giving up the leadoff homer to Estrada, allowing only six more hits the remainder of the game to improve to 2-5 on the season. He allowed only two runs on the evening, both of which were on home runs.
Dierks ended the game going 3-for-3 with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, two runs scored a walk and a hit by pitch. Michael Thompson went 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored while Diefenderfer picked up a hit and two RBI on the night.
The same two teams will play game two of their three-game series Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at "The Shaw."