Santa Clara Baseball Picks Up Conference Win Over Pepperdine

Santa Clara Baseball Picks Up Conference Win Over Pepperdine

Postgame interview with winning pitcher Tommy Nance!

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - In its first home game in over a week, Santa Clara beat Pepperdine by a final of 6-1. With the win the Broncos are now19-16 overall with a 2-8 mark in WCC play. The Waves move to 22-16 overall with a 5-5 mark in conference.

Friday starter RHP Tommy Nance (4-2; 3.03) made his team-leading ninth start and picked up a win while throwing a complete game. He surrendered two runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. C Quinton Perry led the way on offense by going 2-3 with a home run, a single and three RBI.

Santa Clara and Pepperdine will continue their series tomorrow, Sat., April 21 at 1 p.m. After the game Bronco players and coaches will shave their heads in support of St. Baldrick's "Base Bald" program that raises money to fund research for childhood cancer. Click here for more on the event. The series wraps-up at Schott Stadium on Sun. April 22 with a 1 p.m. game.

"Today I just wanted to come out and stay focused," said Nance. "A couple outings ago I wasn't as focused as I should be. I was thinking about other things and tonight I just thought about hitting the glove. Having the coach come out in the ninth and leave me in means a lot. It shows a lot of faith in me to get the job done."

2B Kyle DeMerritt singled up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the second. After a pick off throw was thrown away and a wild pitch advanced DeMerritt to third, Perry came up with a two out RBI single to center to put the Broncos ahead 1-0. 3B Matt Glomb followed with a single that he blooped just over the head of the shortstop. SS Justin Viele struck out to end the inning.

DH Pat Stover smacked a single through the right side to lead off the bottom of the fourth. LF Stephen Takahashi laid down a sac bunt that he almost beat out to advance Stover to second and a wild pitch advanced Stover to third. DeMerritt hit a high chopper with the infield in and Stover was gunned down at the plate. Perry slugged a pitch over the left field wall for a two run shot that put Santa Clara up 3-0. Glomb was caught looking for the third out.

Nance walked LF Floyd Given to lead off the top of the fifth and, after a deep fly out to the left-center field warning track, C Miles Silverstein singled to right to put two on for the Waves. Another walk, this one to CF Matt Gelalich, loaded the bases with just one out. Lead-off man SS Zach Vincej hit a sacrifice fly to center to put Pepperdine on the board. Nance got 3B Austin Davidson swinging to end the inning with the score 3-1.

Glomb drew a lead off walk in the home half of the seventh and went to second on a sac bunt by Viele. The red hot Harisis came to the plate with a runner in scoring position and he smoked his first hit of the game, a single to left field. With runners now on the corners 1B Andrew Biancardi hit a grounder to third that turned into a fielder's choice with Glomb being retired attempting to score. Ozanne hit a seeing-eye RBI single through the right side that made the score 4-1 and put runners on first and third. Ozanne swiped second to put two in scoring position before Stover knocked in both runs with his second double of the game.

Nance came out for the ninth and gave up a lead off single to RF Tony Cooper. 1B Sam Meyer followed with a foul pop out but Given singled up the middle to put two runners on with only one out. After a visit to the mound by head coach Dan O'Brien, Nance gave up a double to DH Matt Forgatch that made the score 6-2. C Miles Silverstein came to the plate and got caught looking for the second out. Gelalich drew a walk to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Vincej, representing the last chance for the Waves, hit a foul out to right field to end the game and give Santa Clara the win.

Game Notes: First pitch was at 6:04 ... attendance was 444 ... This was the first game of the season that Pat Stover did not start in left field ... SS Justin Viele is now the only player to start every game at the same position in 2012 for the Broncos ... Quinton Perry gunned down a runner trying to advance on a pitch in the dirt in the top of the seventh.