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SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Trying to win on get-away-day at #24 San Diego, Santa Clara baseball fell 12-4 to the Toreros. With the loss Santa Clara is now 13-7 overall and 0-3 in the WCC. San Diego moves to 21-6 and 3-0 in conference play.
RHP Mike Couch (1-2; 5.10) had a tough start and only last two innings while picking up the loss. He went 2.0 innings and allowed seven runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two. LF Pat Stover and 1B Andrew Biancardi each went 3-4 and had a RBI and a run scored while C Zach Looney went 2-4 with a pair of singles and two RBI.
Santa Clara will play a home doubleheader tomorrow, Mar. 27 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. against Brown University.
San Diego jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first when SS Andrew Daniel was hit by a pitch with one out and DH Corey LeVier walked to put runners on first and second. After 3B Kris Bryant struck out, CF Louie Lechich doubled down the right field line to bring in a run. C Dylan Haupt walked to load the bases but 1B Connor Joe flied out to end the inning with just one run coming across.
The Broncos responded by putting up two runs of their own in top of the second. Biancardi singled up the middle and 2B Kyle DeMerritt reached on a two-base error by the right fielder. Looney came up with two two-out RBI on a single down the left field line. With SS Justin Viele at the plate, Looney was picked off first to end the inning.
A lead-off single for RF A.J. Robinson got San Diego's offense started in the bottom of the second. LF Bryan Haar followed with a single to left center and after a fly out, Daniel doubled down the left field line to knock in the tying run. LeVier would reach on a fielder's choice that saw Haar get thrown out at home. With two outs, Bryant hit a long three-run home run to put San Diego up by a score of 5-2. Couch got Lechich to ground out to second for the third out.
Matt Ozanne drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a groundout by Herbst. Stover came up and singled up the middle to knock in a run. After DH Peter Summerville reached on an error by the shortstop, Biancardi drove in a run with a single to left field. With runners on second and third after a passed ball, 3B Matt Glomb struck out looking to end the Bronco threat.
Haupt walked and Joe was hit by a pitch before Couch was pulled for RHP Chris Mendoza. Robinson laid down a sac bunt to advance both runners and Haar doubled down the left field line to bring in two more runs. Mendoza settled down to get the last two outs without any more runs scoring.
In the bottom of the fourth San Diego continued its hot day at the plate. Bryant drew a one-out walk and Haupt hit a two-out double to center field to bring him in. After LHP Max Deering came in for Mendoza, Victor Rasor-Thompson came in as a pinch hitter and doubled to left for two more RBI before Deering got the third out.
San Diego would put up single runs in the fifth and seventh to make the score 12-4. Pinch hitter Casey Husband drew a one-out walk in the ninth for the Broncos but fellow pinch hitter Quinton Perry hit into a double play to end the game and give San Diego the sweep.