Feb. 26, 2006
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - After taking the first two games of its series against No. 22 Cal Poly, the Santa Clara baseball team was denied the sweep Sunday afternoon as the Mustangs salvaged the final game of the weekend 3-2 on a game-winning hit in the ninth inning at Baggett Stadium.
Freshman hurler Matt Wickswat held the powerful Mustang offense in check for six-plus innings, allowing only three hits and two runs while striking out four. On the day Cal Poly managed only four hits off of three Bronco pitchers.
Kevin Drever and Gabriel Alcantar each had a pair of singles Sunday for Santa Clara (7-6). For Alcantar today's performance marked his fourth-straight multi-hit game and capped off a spectacular week which saw him go 9-for-15 from the plate with a double, three RBIs, six runs scored and four walks.
Santa Clara out-hit Cal Poly (10-5) for the third time in the series, 9-4, but in the end it was the Mustangs who got the one hit that mattered. With two outs and the potential winning run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, Cal Poly pinch-hitter Bryan Kepner singled through the left side off of SCU's Jeff Lombard, plating Chad Pruett with the deciding run and preventing the SCU sweep.
After tying the game at 2-apiece in the seventh inning, the Broncos held off two Mustang scoring opportunities in the seventh and eighth before getting a prime chance of their own in the SCU half of the ninth. With one out the Broncos had runners on first and second with the meat of the order coming up, but Cal Poly's Rocky Roquet got Dustin Realini to pop up to shortstop and retired Kris Watts on strikes to end the threat.
Santa Clara returns home to Stephen Schott Stadium for a mid-week game on Tuesday at 3 p.m. against the Nevada Wolf Pack. Over the weekend the Broncos will play host to the San Jose State Spartans in a pair of Rivalry Series matchups Friday night at 6 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., with Saturday's contest being played at San Jose Municipal Stadium at 1 p.m.
Tickets for next week's home contests are available at the Leavey Center ticket office or by calling (408) 554-4660.