May 12, 2006
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Like a sleeping bear that has been rudely awakened from its slumber, the Santa Clara University baseball team's bats lashed out of its hibernation, pounding out 18 hits in an 18-6 victory over the Portland Pilots Friday night at Stephen Schott Stadium. The victory snapped Santa Clara's five-game slide.
SCU will look to capture the series tomorrow afternoon as the teams take the field for a 1 p.m. meeting.
Seven Broncos turned in multi-hit performances Friday night, led by Jason Matteucci's three hits and five RBIs. Matteucci also hit his first home run since his freshman year with a shot over the right-field fence. Eric Newton and Donald Brandt blasted back-to-back homers in the second while Kris Watts added his team-leading 16th double of the season. Michael Lange also had a pair of hits and three RBIs.
Matt Wickswat struck out nine, one short of his season-high, in six and a third innings while walking none in earning his ninth victory of the season.
Santa Clara (27-24, 8-11 WCC) settled things right away by posting 16 runs over the first three frames, highlighted by the seven-run first. The Broncos started the game with five-straight hits, and Watts' double chased Portland starter Sean Sargent.
Portland (14-32, 2-14 WCC) got three of those runs back in the second as Paul Crowder's double drove in a pair, but SCU would continue its scoring binge immediately following, posting five more in their half of the second.
An inning later, the Broncos pushed four more across, all with two outs in the inning. With two on, Matteucci drove a Blaine Hardy offering deep to right for his first homer of the season. Newton was driven in three batters later by Lange's single.
Right-hander Deke Dormer relieved Wickswat in the seventh and shut the pilots down the rest of the way.