Post game interview with Casey Munoz
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – In front of another strong home crowd, Santa Clara baseball (2-0) took down Seattle University (0-2) for the second time in as many days. The two teams wrap-up their three-game series on Sun., Feb. 17 at 12 p.m. at Schott Stadium.
"It's tough sometimes when a game goes four hours and 20-plus runs are scored," said Santa Clara outfielder Casey Munoz. "Coach O'Brien preaches to be invested on every pitch and know what's going on. If you do that, you can stay focused no matter how long the game goes."
Chris Mendoza (0-0; 11.25) made the start for Santa Clara and lasted 4.0 plus innings while surrendering five earned runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Max Deering (1-0; 0.00) picked up the win by pitching 2.2 scoreless, hitless innings of relief with two strikeouts and one walk.
On offense Munoz led the way with a 4-6 day in his second Division I game. Munoz had a double, scored a run and had two RBI. Matt Ozanne led the team with three RBI and Quinton Perry had a home run. Eight Broncos had at least one RBI and four had at least two. There were also five Santa Clara players with at least two hits.
"It's all about approach," said Munoz on his four hits. "Yesterday the adrenaline was pumping and I got a little jumpy but today I was able to get some hits. I came into the game tonight and I was just excited to be here. It's a great time."
Seattle starter Ted Hammond (0-0; 7.36) lasted 3.2 innings while allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits. He walked four and struck out two. Garrett Anderson (0-1; 9.00) picked up the loss while allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Zach Aaker went 2-5 with four RBI while Cullen Hendrickson and Ryan Somers each had three hits. Nate Roberts added three RBI while going 2-5. Nick Latta had a tough day in the field, committing three errors, all in the fifth inning. The Redhawks committed eight errors in total.
Hendrickson led off the game vs. Mendoza with a solid single back up the middle. Hendrickson stole second and moved to third on a sliding stop and throw by Greg Harisis at second. Somers hit a fly ball to left center for a sacrifice fly that put the Redhawks up 1-0 early. The inning ended on a ground out to third by Brian Olson.
Kert Woods led off the bottom of the first by reaching on an error by shortstop Roberts. On a 2-2 pitch Woods swiped his first career bag to put a man on second with no one out. After a long at-bat, Justin Viele chopped a single through the hole on the left side of the infield to put runners on the corners with still no out. Greg Harisis hit a shallow fly ball to right and Woods bluffed coming home. Sean Narby overthrew his cutoff man and up the third baseline allowing Viele to move to second and Woods to come in to even the score at 1-1. T.J. Braff and Matt Ozanne followed with consecutive walks but Casey Munoz grounded out up the middle that Roberts got to and flipped to second just in time to end the inning without another run coming across.
Narby led off the third with a base hit back through the middle and with one out moved to second on a passed ball. Hendrickson followed with a walk and Roberts flied out to right field to put runners on the corners with two down. Somers singled passed Harisis to put the Redhawks back on top at 2-1. The bases were loaded following Olson being hit by a pitch and Zach Aaker cashed in with a two-RBI single to center. Mendoza ended the inning by catching Nick Latta looking.
Quinton Perry got a run back for Santa Clara right off the bat in the bottom of the third with a high home run over the left field wall. Casey Munoz added a one-out double to right field but the Broncos were unable to get him home.
Drew Ozanne and Woods led off the bottom of the fourth with infield singles and Viele advanced D. Ozanne to third with a fly out to left center. Harisis just missed a home run to left but the deep fly was good enough to get D. Ozanne home on the sac fly and get the Broncos within a run at 4-3. With Woods on the move, Perry tied the game with a rocket on the ground that went over first base for a double. Hammond was lifted for Skyler Genger who gave up an infield single to Braff on a ball that tipped off Genger's glove. With runners now on the corners and two down, M. Ozanne hit a hard grounder to short for an inning-ending fielder's choice.
Hendrickson smoked a ball to right center that got caught under the fence and turned in to an automatic double, saving the Broncos a base. Mendoza was lifted for Chris Heckert who surrendered a RBI double to Roberts that put Seattle back on top 5-4. Olson followed with a walk that loaded the bases. Aaker drove in two with a single to left center and advanced Olson to third. Reece Karalus entered the game with runners and got the first out on a sacrifice fly by Latta that made the score 8-4. Aaker moved to second on a passed ball but was left there are Karalus got out of the inning.
Munoz and Peter Summerville reached on singles to get things started in the bottom of the fifth. D. Ozanne whacked a RBI double to the left field corner to creep Santa Clara closer at 8-5. Woods grounded out to short on a nice play by Roberts but a run came across and D. Ozanne remained on second. Viele hit a routine grounder to third but Latta's throw pulled Aaker off the bag for an error. Latta followed with another error to load the bases but Perry went down looking. Braff hit a high chopper to third and Latta made his third error of the inning that brought in a run and kept the bases loaded. M. Ozanne singled to center to bring in two runs and an error by the centerfielder let M. Ozanne move to second and Braff score. Munoz grounded out to end the inning but the Broncos had scored six times and the score was 10-8 in favor of Santa Clara.
Cray singled to start the sixth and Hendrickson followed with a double to right field. Roberts tied the game with a single up the middle but got caught between first and second and was thrown out. Woods dove for a deep fly down the left field but just missed and Somers got to second on the double. The Redhawks retook the lead 11-10 on a single up the middle. Nick Medeiros entered the game and escaped the inning without another run scoring.
After Harisis led off the seventh with a groundout, the Broncos rallied for two runs. Perry worked a walk but Braff went down swinging for the second out of the inning. M. Ozanne singled up the middle and Munoz reached on an infield single that went back to the pitcher but he fell coming off the mound and the bases were loaded. Zach Looney stepped to the plate and hit a chopper up the middle that scored two runs and put runners on second and third after the throw. D. Ozanne ended the inning on a fly ball to center.
Viele hit a sharp single to left and moved to second with one out on the second Redhawks' balk of the game. Harisis followed with a walk and a chopper back to the mound loaded the bases when new pitcher Eric Yardley threw high to second base. Braff was hit by a pitch to bring in a run and M. Ozanne grounded out to second to bring in another run and give Santa Clara a three run lead at 14-11. Munoz collected his fourth hit of the day on a single up the middle to bring in two more runs for the Broncos.
Max Deering came out for the bottom of the ninth and surrendered a lead-off walk and got two outs before a base hit up the middle put runners on the corners. Deering got a ground out to end the game.
Game Notes: Attendance was 513 … Time of game was 3:55 … Seattle starter Hammond ended up throwing 36 pitchers in the inning … Peter Summerville gunned down Landon Cray trying to swipe second to the end the top of the fourth … Zach Looney entered on defense in the sixth inning … Ben Ruff pinch-hit in the top of the sixth for Nick Latta … Kyle Cortopassi made is debut as a pinch-runner for T.J. Braff in the bottom of the eighth.