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SANTA CLARA, Calif. - In the opening game of the third annual Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament, co-host Santa Clara topped Utah by a final score of 4-1. The Broncos scored three runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. Santa Clara is now 11-3 while Utah falls to 2-10.
RHP Tommy Nance (3-0; 2.56 2.48) made the start for the Broncos and picked up the win. He allowed one run in 8.0 innings while giving up seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. RHP Paul Twining (2-1; 3.97) picked up his fourth save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth. On offense the Broncos were paced by C Peter Summerville who went 3-4 with a triple, a run scored and a RBI. He is now hitting .579 (11-19) in 2012.
Santa Clara continues the Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament Fri., Mar. 9 with a 6 p.m. game vs. Lehigh at Schott Stadium.
"I felt really good on the mound tonight, probably the best I've felt all year," said Nance. " All my pitches were working. Down in the bullpen before the game, my slider, curveball and changeup were all looking good and that carried over into the game. I was able to locate the ball down, in and out. I just felt really good."
SS James Brooks led off the game with a home run to left center field. After a strike out to 2B Ryan Cooperstone, C Parker Morin hit an infield single off the glove of Nance but was thrown out by C Peter Summerville for the second out. A strike out to LF Shaun Cooper ended the inning.
In the bottom of the first, 1B Andrew Biancardi hit a one-out double off the left-center field wall to put a runner in scoring position for the Broncos hottest hitter, RF Lucas Herbst. Though Herbst entered the night hitting .500 with runners in scoring position, he struck out on a pitch in the dirt. LF Pat Stover hit a fly ball to deep left-center that landed on the warning track and just missed the diving center field to knock in the first Santa Clara run and tie the score at 1-1. 2B Kyle DeMerritt struck out to end the inning.
Cooper hit a one-out triple to right-center that hit the base of the wall and rolled away from CF Matt Ozanne. A walk to 3B Trey Nielsen put runners on the corners with one out. DeMerritt took a high-hopper and flipped it backhanded to Viele to start a 4-6-3 double play that ended the inning with the score still tied.
DeMerritt led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and 3B Matt Glomb singled over the shortstop to put two on with no outs. Greg Harisis came in to pinch hit for Braff and ran the count full before he doubled to left with the runners moving to put the Broncos up 2-1. A passed ball that went straight through the legs of Utah catcher Morin but bounced straight back and Glomb was tagged out at home. Summerville followed with a triple to right to make the score 3-1 with still just one out. Viele went back through the middle to knock in the third run of the inning. RHP Mitch Watrous came in to relieve Utes' starter RHP Joe Pond after Viele's RBI single. The offense continued when M. Ozanne singled to left on a hit and run. Biancardi flew out to right field for the second out and Herbst struck out to end the inning.
No one threatened for several innings and the game entered the top of the ninth with the score 4-1 Santa Clara. Twining entered the game and got Nielsen to groundout to short to lead off the inning. A walk to DH Jo Jo Sharrar was followed by a strike out to pinch hitter Tyler Relf and another strike out to RH Josh Alexander to close out the 11th Bronco win by a score of 4-1.
Game Notes: First pitch was 6 p.m. ... for the second straight game the Broncos surrendered a lead off home run ... Tommy Nance had a seven pitch second inning ... T.J. Braff was doubled-off second on a sharp line drive to short by Justin Viele ... Greg Harisis hit his first collegiate double and collected his first collegiate RBI in the bottom of the fourth ... in the bottom of the fifth, Harisis walked for the first time in his career ... Lucas Herbst hit a foul pop-up that was caught in the photographers' well but was ruled out of play as part Schott Stadium's ground rules ... Matt Glomb got his first career stolen base in the bottom of the fifth ... Kyle DeMerritt dove to his left on a rocket and got the force at second in the top of the sixth.