SAN JOSE, Calif. - On a day where Santa Clara baseball's offense exploded for 12 runs against San Jose State, the Broncos couldn't hold a ninth inning lead and fell 13-12 at Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif. With the loss Santa Clara is now 8-3 in 2012 while San Jose State moves to 3-6.

RHP Brock Simon (1-0; 3.37) picked up a no-decision in 5.2 innings for the Broncos. He gave up seven hits and three walks while allowing five runs, four of which were earned. CF Matt Ozanne and LF Pat Stover had nine RBI between them. Ozanne went 1-3 with a walk, four RBI and two runs scored while Stover was 3-4 with a walk and had 5 RBI and scored a run.

The Broncos and Spartans will play the rubber-match of their three game series tomorrow Sun., Mar. 3 at 1 p.m. at Stephen Schott Stadium.

Santa Clara struck early when a one-out walk to RF Lucas Herbst came back to hurt the Spartans. Stover hit a single to centerfield that was misplayed by the defense and it allowed Herbst to score and Stover to go to third to put the Broncos up 1-0 after one half inning.

The Spartans answered Santa Clara's run when CF Andrew Mercurio hit a lead off single through the left side in the bottom of the first. LF Michael Gerlach followed with a fielder's choice but was safe on a throwing error by 2B Kyle DeMerritt. A sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third and DH Caleb Natov singled to third base to bring in a run. After a walk loaded the bases, RF Tim Quiery singled to left-center to bring in two more runs and make the score 3-1 Spartans. Simon was able to escape the inning with no more runs scoring.

3B Matt Glomb led off the top of the second with a single to left-center but was erased when DeMerritt lined into a double play. C Zach Looney got a two-out single to right and advanced to second on a wild pick-off throw. SS Just Viele drew a walk and M. Ozanne followed with his first home run of the season to put Santa Clara back on top 4-3.

After going quietly in the third, Santa Clara's offense was back at it in the fourth. DeMerritt led off with a single to center field and went to second on a wild pitch. C Peter Summerville, who had replaced Looney in the bottom of the third, walked and Viele was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Herbst hit a sac fly to center to extend the Bronco lead to 5-3. Stover followed with a single to center to knock in another run. DH T.J. lined out to third to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth Valdez hit a one-out single up the middle and Natov walked to put two on with one out. 1B Matt Carroll singled through the right side for a RBI that brought the score to 5-4. Quiery hit into a double play to keep it a one run lead for the Broncos after five innings.

Summerville got a lead off single in the top of the sixth and M. Ozanne drew a one out walk to put two on for Santa Clara. After Herbst fouled out, Stover came up and hit a three-run homer to make it 8-4 Broncos.

The bottom of the sixth saw the Spartans bring the score to 8-5. 3B Tyler Christian was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and SS Mike Aldrete hit an infield single to shortstop. After a sacrifice bunt Mercurio hit a RBI groundout. After Simon walked Gerlach, LHP Max Deering came in in relief and got 2B Jacob Valdez to fly out to right.

1B Andrew Biancardi and Glomb drew back-to-back walks to start the seventh inning and DeMerritt sacrificed them to second and third. Summerville followed with a RBI single to left field. Viele was hit by a pitch again to load the bases. M. Ozanne hit a fly ball to center that brought in Glomb but ended the inning when Viele tried to advance to second.

San Jose State put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Christian hit a sac fly to center to make the score 11-5 Santa Clara.

Braff started a two-out rally in the top of the eighth with a double down the left field line. INF Greg Harisis came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a passed ball. Biancardi smacked a double to right field to bring in the 12th Santa Clara run of the game.

The Broncos had a golden chance to add-on in the top of the ninth when Summerville, pinch hitter Drew Ozanne and OF Stephen Meade all reached to load the bases with one out. Herbst and pinch hitter C.J. Jacobe both popped out to short to end the inning.

Despite being down six runs in the bottom of the ninth, San Jose State would not be denied the victory. Valdez singled up the middle and pinch hitter Matt Lopez and Carroll were both hit by a pitch to load the bases with no one out. RHP Paul Twining came in to relieve RHP Chris Mendoza. Quiery singled through the right side, Christian singled through the left side and Aldrete singled through the right side and suddenly the Bronco lead had been cut to 12-9 with the bases loaded and still nobody out. LHP Powell Fansler was brought in for Twining and threw a wild pitch to allow another run to score. The first out of the inning was a RBI ground out to first by pinch hitter Zack Jones. Pinch hitter Kalei Contrades followed with a single down the right field line to tie the score at 12-12. Gerlach grounded out to third but Valdez and Lopez followed with back-to-back hit by pitches to load the bases. Daniel Cohen, who had entered earlier in the inning as a pinch runner for Carroll, drew a walk to knock in the game-winning run and give the Spartans a 13-12 victory.