April 5, 2003
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Santa Clara University's baseball team picked up its fifth straight win over San Francisco with a 7-3 win Saturday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond on the USF campus. The win moved the Broncos' record to 15-19 overall and 7-4 in West Coast Conference action while dropping the Dons' record to 13-21 overall and 6-8 in league play.
The Broncos got on the board first for the second time in as many games against USF as Jim Wallace led off with a double to left center field and moved up to third base on a fly out to right field by Will Thompson. After a Brian Williams pitch hit Scott Shapiro, Michael Thompson singled to center field scoring Wallace from third for a 1-0 Santa Clara lead after the top of the second inning.
The Dons answered right back in the bottom of the second inning as Armand Gaerlan and Joe Jacobitz hit back-to-back solo home runs to lead off the inning, giving San Francisco the 2-1 lead.
Three more runs for the Broncos in the top of the third inning gave SCU a 4-2 lead after 2 ½ innings as Scott Dierks and Jack Headley led off the inning with back-to-back singles. A fake bunt, slash single down the right field line by Jason Matteucci plated Dierks from second and moved Headley up to third. After a Wallace walk loaded the bases, Will Thompson picked up a RBI with another walk by Williams. Michael Thompson picked up his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly out to center field, plating Wallace for the third run of the inning.
Freshman Michael Lange started a two-out rally in the top of the sixth inning with a double down the right field line. He scored one batter later as Dierks picked up his sixth RBI of the week with a double to right center field. A single to left field by Headley scored Dierks from second as Jacobitz's throw from left field was not in time and allowed Headley to advance to second base. After a wild pitch allowed Headley to move up to third, Matteucci delivered a single to left center field, scoring Headley and moving the SCU lead up to 7-2.
San Francisco trimmed the Bronco lead by one in the bottom of the seventh inning as Jason Howard delivered a two-out RBI double to right center field, scoring Ryan Hanson from second base.
After Joe Diefenderfer threw seven full inning for the Broncos in which he allowed three runs on five hits with two walk and five strikeouts, Santa Clara skipper Mark O'Brien turned to Chad Fillinger to throw the final two innings. Fillinger recorded the final six outs while allowing only two base runners, both on walks, to go along with two strikeouts. Diefenderfer gets credited with the win, which moves his season record to 5-3 on the year.
The Broncos and Dons will conclude their three game series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.