SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Despite taking an early lead for the second straight game against WCC-favorite San Diego, Santa Clara baseball lost 4-2 on Sunday. The Broncos are now 13-6 overall with a 0-2 mark in the WCC while San Diego is 20-6 and 2-0 in conference.

RHP Brock Simon (1-1; 3.13) pitched five innings in the start and picked up the loss. He surrendered four runs on 10 hits and three walks, with four strikeouts. RF Lucas Herbst, C Peter Summerville and 2B Kyle DeMerritt each had one hit and Summerville and 1B Andrew Biancardi scored the two Bronco runs.

Santa Clara will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow, Mon., Mar. 25 at 1 p.m. as it wraps-up it's series at San Diego.

San Diego threatened in the bottom of the first when they got back-to-back lead off singles off of Simon. A strikeout of DH Corey LeVier  and a pick off at second base made it one on with two outs. RF Kris Bryant was hit by a pitch and CF Louie Lechich singled to second base to load the bases. LF Bryan Haar flew out to end the threat.

In the top of the second inning Santa Clara struck for two unearned runs. Summerville hit a one-out single to left center field and Biancardi reached on an error by Julian Duran at third. 3B Matt Glomb flew out to right field before DeMerritt reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. Summerville scored and DeMerritt got caught in a run down but Biancardi was able to score before the third out was recorded to make the score 2-0 in favor of Santa Clara.

San Diego took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Bryant smacked a one-out home run to left field for the first San Diego run of the day. Lechich walked and scored when C Dillon Haupt tripled to right center. With two outs, 1B Connor Joe singled to left field to bring in the third run of the inning. A fly out to center ended the inning.

The Toreros struck again in the top of the fifth when Haar hit a one-out double to right center and Haupt was intentionally walked to put two on with only one out. Joe Singled to right field to load the bases before pinch hitter A.J. Robinson hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring the score to 4-2 in favor of San Diego. A strike out of 2B Austin Bailey ended the inning.

Santa Clara's best chance to get even came in the top of the eighth when DeMerritt led off with a single to left field. Greg Harisis pinch hit for DH. T.J. Braff and was hit by a pitch. SS Justin Viele laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the tying runs in scoring position but CF Matt Ozanne struck out swinging and Herbst flew out to center field to end the threat.

The Broncos went 1-2-3 in the ninth on two groundouts and strikeout to end the game and give San Diego the victory.