April 18, 2006
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The bats came alive for the Santa Clara Broncos Tuesday night as they ripped 17 hits on their way to a 16-3 romp over the San Francisco State Gators at Stephen Schott Stadium. Eric Newton drove in seven runs and added a grand slam while Donald Brandt got it done on both ends, throwing three solid innings and hitting a bomb of his own in notching his third win of the year.
Santa Clara (21-17, 3-6 WCC) will now hit the road as the team continues WCC play with a weekend series at Loyola Marymount (15-25, 4-5 WCC). Friday's game is set for a 3 p.m. start while Saturday and Sunday's contests are set to begin at 1 p.m.
Newton went 3-for-4 with a double, his WCC-leading 11th homer and seven RBIs. Brandt upped his pitching record to 3-1 while striking out three and went 3-for-5 from the plate with three RBIs and his first collegiate home run. Kris Watts also lashed out with his sixth home run of the year and had three hits on the night.
The Broncos wasted no time getting on the board in the first, as Daniel Nava and Newton drove in a pair with RBI singles. In the third, Newton again came through with a two-RBI double before being driven in by Brandt's single to left as the Broncos went up 6-1.
The next inning put things away for good, as with the bases loaded and none out, Newton hammered a shot over the left-field fence for a grand slam to make it a 10-1 game. Two batters later Brandt got around on the first pitch he saw and crushed a towering drive over the fence in right. An inning later Watts' opposite-field job to left continued the offensive explosion.
Five relievers combined to finish off the contest, highlighted by Jeff Lombard striking out the side in the eighth, his only inning of work.