April 23, 2006
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Defense and pitching took center stage on Sunday afternoon for the first time in this weekend's series between Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount. Freshman Matt Wickswat limited LMU to three runs on only five hits to earn his seventh win of the season and Mark Willinsky closed things out for his eighth save as the Broncos captured the series with a 4-3 win over the Lions at George Page Stadium.
Wickswat struck out four in seven and two-thirds innings of work, bowing out with two on and two out in the eighth. Daniel DeMarco picked up his fellow staff member by striking out LMU's Sean Dovel with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.
Kris Watts and Brady Fuerst each had two hits and an RBI to pace the Bronco offense. Eric Newton and Kevin Drever also had a pair of hits each, as well.
The Broncos got off to a quick start as consecutive two-out singles by Daniel Nava and Watts each drove in a run to stake Wickswat to an early two-run advantage. Back-to-back sacrifice flies in the fourth by Gabriel Alcantar and Brady Fuerst bumped the SCU lead to 4-0 in the fourth.
LMU halved the deficit on an RBI groundout in their half of the fourth and a Brian Wilson sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Wickswat buckled down and blew through six consecutive batters over the sixth and seventh frames.
Kyle Mura's second RBI groundout of the ballgame made it 4-3 in the eighth, and after intentionally walking Chris Pettit, Wickswat gave way to Lombard, who got Dovel swinging on a 2-2 pitch to end the threat.
Willinsky came on in the ninth and with two on and one away, struck out the final two batters to preserve the win.