SPOKANE, Wash. - In a game that featured four home runs, Santa Clara baseball fell to Gonzaga by a final score of 4-2. With the loss the Broncos are now 18-13 and 1-6 in WCC play while Gonzaga moves to 23-9 overall with a 4-3 mark in conference.
RHP Tommy Nance (3-2; 3.19) got a no-decision while throwing 7.1 innings and surrendering two runs. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out three Zags. LHP Max Deering (2-2; 1.88) got the loss in 0.1 innings. CF Matt Ozanne had another good game in the three spot in the lineup by going 2-3 with a walk and a run scored. 2B Greg Harisis continued his hot hitting with two hits in five at bats.
Santa Clara and Gonzaga play again tomorrow Sat., April 14 at 3 p.m. before wrapping up the series with a 1 p.m. game on Sun., April 15.
Gonzaga took an early lead in the bottom of the second when 2B Alex Stanford hit a lead off homer to center. 1B Andy Hunter followed with a single to left and advanced to second on a passed ball. SS Steven Halcomb sacrificed the runner to third but Nance got a strike out and a ground out to get out of the inning with only one run scored.
Santa Clara got on the board in the top of the sixth. Ozanne worked a lead off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by LF Pat Stover. C Peter Summerville crushed a home run to left field to put the Broncos up 2-1.
DH Clayton Eslick smacked a one out home run to tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Hunter and Halcomb singled with two outs to give Gonzaga a chance to take the lead but LF Brock Slavin grounded out to end the inning.
With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth Nance got a fly out and was taken out for Deering. After a fly out for the second out of the inning, the Zags rallied for two runs. Stanford was hit by a pitch and Hunter walked to put two on. RHP Paul Twining entered the game and gave up a RBI single to Halcomb to put Gonzaga ahead. Slavin singled through the left side to extend the lead to 4-2. C Maxx Garrett flied out to right field to end the frame.
RF Stephen Takahashi led off the Santa Clara half of the ninth by being hit by a pitch. Pinch hitter Drew Ozanne flied out to left and pinch hitter Quinton Perry went down swinging for the second out. Harisis struck out looking to end the game and give Gonzaga the win.