SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Looking for the sweep, Santa Clara baseball (2-1) fell to Seattle University (1-2) by a final of 15-13 in another wild game. The Broncos wrap-up opening weekend with a game Monday, Feb. 18 vs. Cal Poly at 3 p.m. at Schott Stadium.
Peter Hendron (0-0, 11.25) started for Santa Clara and went 4.0 plus innings in his collegiate debut. Hendron allowed five runs on five hits with four walks and no strikeouts. D.J. Zapata (0-0, 15.43) picked up the loss by pitching 2.0 innings and allowing six hits, four runs and picking up one strikeout.
Santa Clara's offense was led by Greg Harisis who went 5-for-5 with five singles. Harisis scored three runs and knocked in one. Quinton Perry went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Kert Woods and Drew Ozanne each added three hits.
Seattle starter Kyle Doyle (0-0, 10.11) went 2.2 innings while surrendering five runs, three earned, on six hits. Doyle struck out two and walked three. Garrett Anderson (1-1, 9.00) picked up the win in 1.0 innings of relief. He gave up one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Eric Yardley (0-0, 5.40) picked up his first save of the season in a scoreless ninth inning.
The Redhawks were led on offense by Sean Narby who was 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, a walk and four RBI. Nate Roberts went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI, Ryan Somers was 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, three runs scored and three RBI and Brian Olson was 3-for-6 with a double, a run scored and three RBI.
Ryan Somers drew a two-out walk and Brian Olson smoked a double into the left field corner with Somers on the move to put Seattle up 1-0 early.
Kert Woods hit the first pitch he saw for a double into left center field and swiped third two pitches later. Viele worked the count full and drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Viele got hung up between first and second but Cullen Hendrickson dropped a ball during the run down that allowed Viele to get into second. Once the ball was dropped, Woods took off for home and Hendrickson's throw went over the catcher allowing Viele to reach third safely. With the game tied 1-1, Greg Harisis hit a liner up the middle that was stopped by Nate Roberts and shortstop but he couldn't complete the play and Harisis had a RBI infield single to give the Broncos the 2-1 lead. After Quinton Perry popped out on one pitch, T.J. Braff drew a walk. On a 3-1 pitch Matt Ozanne hit a hard grounder that the shortstop dove for and threw behind Harisis at third and the Redhawks used a run down for the second out. Braff tried to move up to third on the play but was thrown out as well to complete the unusual double play and end the inning.
Sean Narby led of the second with a walk and moved to second on a groundout to short. Eric Koenig doubled to left to tie the score at 2-2. Hendron got out of the inning with the score still tied.
Somers went yard over the right field fence to put Seattle back on top 3-2 with one out in the top of the third. Evan Ewing came in from the bullpen and D. Ozanne took off for second and got caught in a run down. He was able to stay alive long enough for M. Ozanne to score from third before the inning was ended.
Harisis smoked a single to left to start the home half of the third and Perry followed with his second home run in as many days to put Santa Clara back on top 4-3, a booming shot to left center that hit the batting cages. M. Ozanne was hit by a pitch and D. Ozanne singled to left to put runners on the corners with two down.
Hendron walked Hendrickson and Roberts was hit by a pitch to start things in the top of the fifth. Hendron was lifted for Chris Heckert after four-plus innings. Olson hit a grounder to third that took a wicked hop and went into left field to bring in a run and put runners on the corners with one down. Sean Narby doubled to left on a liner just out of the reach of a divin Woods to put Seattle back on top 6-5. Steve Kirbach tapped one down the first base line that was fielded by Heckert. The throw went down the line and into right field for an error that allowed the fourth run of the inning to score.
Harisis led off the bottom of the fifth with a bunt single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Perry followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners. Braff sacrificed the runner to second to put two in scoring position with just one down. M. Ozanne singled up the middle to tie the game at 7-7. M. Ozanne stole second and moved to third on a ground out. D. Ozanne hit one past the third baseman for a RBI single that put the Broncos back on top 8-7. Pinch hitter Zach Looney chopped one back to the pitcher but it was misplayed and the Broncos had two on with two outs for the top of the order. New pitcher Ben Ruff uncorked a wild pitch on his first offering that moved both base runners up. Woods made the wild pitch hurt with a two-RBI single to right. Woods stole second but Viele flied out to right to end the inning.
Cray singled to center to get the Redhawks started in the sixth and after a pop out, Roberts was hit by a pitch on a 3-0 count. Somers singled to right and an error on Casey Munoz allowed Roberts to advance to third after a run came around to score. Olson hit a sharp single to left to bring in another run and cut the deficit to one run at 10-9. Heckert was lifted Nick Medeiros who got out of the inning with the Broncos still in front.
Seattle jumped back on top in the top of the seventh on a two-out two-RBI base hit by Roberts. Kirbach led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second on a passed ball. After Cray walked, both runners moved up on a groundout, Roberts singled just past the glove of D. Ozanne at third. Somers was hit by a pitch by Olson struck out swinging to end the inning.
Munoz got things started for Santa Clara in the seventh with a single to center and D. Ozanne sacrificed him up to second. After Looney grounded out to advance Munoz to third, Woods whacked a RBI single over the second baseman to tie the game at 11-11.
Harisis led off the eighth with a single and was able to score when he was on the move as Perry smacked a double to right center to put Santa Clara back on top 12-11. Peter Summerville singled to right but Perry was gunned down at home by Narby to keep the Seattle deficit just one. Summerville moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and was lifted for Max Deering as a pinch runner. With two down Munoz added an insurance run with a single up the middle that scored Deering.
Cray led things off in the ninth with a solid single to center against Zapata. Roberts singled to left center with one down and only a nice play by M. Ozanne to cut down the ball kept the runners on first and second. Somers cut the lead to one at 13-12 with a base hit up the middle. A fly out to left brought Zach Aaker to the plate as the Redhawks last chance. After a pitch in the dirt moved the runner to third, Aacker singled on a chopper through the left side to tie the game at 13-13. Narby followed with a two-RBI double to left center to put Seattle back on top.
Woods reached first with one out on a hit-by-pitch and C.J. Jacobe stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter but grounded out weakly to the pitcher. With two down Harisis came to the plate representing the tying run but grounded out to shortstop to end the game.
Game Notes: First pitch was at 12:04 … Attendance was 484 … Time of game was 4:02 … The Broncos started an all-freshman battery … Nate Roberts was gunned down by Kert Woods in the top of the first trying to stretch a single into a double … Greg Harisis was thrown out attempting to steal home in the bottom of the sixth.