March 15, 2006
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - After a tough road trip that saw the Broncos score 29 runs in two losses at 25th-ranked Washington last weekend, Santa Clara returned home for the first of a four-game homestand tonight against UC Davis. But, the normally reliable bats weren't able to produce against the Aggies as the Broncos absorbed a 9-1 loss at Schott Stadium.
Santa Clara fell to 10-11 on the season with the loss, while UC Davis improved to 10-9. The Broncos return to action Saturday with a single game against Northwestern at Schott Stadium. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday. Action each day will begin at 1 p.m. and live coverage will be available on SantaClaraBroncos.com.
For the Broncos at the plate, designated hitter Carl Bacon went 2-for-3 with a run scored as the only Bronco with a multiple-hit game. Third baseman Brady Fuerst drove Bacon across the plate in the seventh inning for SCU's only run and shortstop Michael Lange produced SCU's only other hit on a single to left field in the bottom of the third inning.
Starter Bryan Evans (3-2) earned the win for UC Davis after pitching five full innings and allowing just two hits and striking out five SCU batters. Shortstop Matt Dempsey led the Aggies offensively with a 3-for-5 performance with three RBI.
Sophomore starter Donald Brandt (1-1) was making only his second appearance of the year after missing most of last season due to injury. The Santa Clara, Calif. native went two and one-third innings and allowed just one hit and two earned runs before putting two runners on base with one out in the top of the third inning.
Justin Kuehn entered the game in relief but UC Davis first baseman Jimmy Goetz quickly reached on an error and both runners advanced to load the bases with just one out. Aggie right fielder Tyler LaTorre then singled up the middle to score the first two runs of the game. After Kuehn struck out Michael Hernandez for the second out of the inning, he walked the bases loaded before consecutive singles scored three more UC Davis runs to give the Aggies a 5-0 lead.
SCU's most serious scoring threat came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Bacon and Matt Long reached base on walks and Lange turned a sacrifice bunt attempt into a baserunning opportunity on an error by Evans.
With bases loaded, one out and a full count, plate umpire Sid Aguilar called Fuerst for a controversial swinging third strike. That prompted a visit and subsequent discussion from SCU head coach Mark O'Brien and he was ejected from the game. With two outs, catcher Kris Watts hit a high fly ball that was caught in foul territory down the third base line for the final out of the inning.