Post game interview with Tommy Nance

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Despite an opportunity in the bottom of the ninth, the Broncos were unable to overcome the visiting Cal Poly Mustangs falling 5-4 at Schott Stadium on Monday. The Broncos are 2-2 on the year, while Cal Poly improves to 4-0. The Broncos return to the field on Fri., Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. vs. Illinois-Chicago at Schott Stadium in the first of a three-game series.

"I felt really good out there," said starting pitcher Tommy Nance. "All my pitches were working and I was executing. My curveball felt really good and I was just trying to have fun out there. I wanted to take the emotion out of it and just pitch like I've always done. As a team we just need to keep plugging away. The game's over now and we just need to make some small changes here and there."

Tommy Nance (0-0, 0.00) made his first start of the season and went 4.0 shutout innings while allowing three hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts. Nance was on a pitch count as he continues to come back from injury. Reece Karalus (0-1, 26.95) picked up the loss by allowing two runs on two hits without recording an out. On offense Greg Harisis went 3-5 with a double and a run scored while Casey Munoz went 2-4 with a double and a RBI.

Kyle Brueggemann started for the Mustangs and tossed 5.0 innings while allowing three runs. He surrendered five hits and one walk with five strikeouts. Danny Zandona (1-0, 6.75) picked up the win in 1.1 innings of relief while allowing one run on four hits with three walks.  Reed Reilly (0-0, 0.00) picked up his second save in 2.0 innings. Reilly fanned five against one walk while allowing two hits and no runs. Denver Chavez led Cal Poly with the bat, going 2-3 with a run scored and a RBI. Tim Wise was 1-1 with two RBI as a pinch hitter. Eight different Mustangs registered at least one hit.

Cal Poly collected three hits over the first three innings and had a hit batter, but Nance induced a double play and fanned two on just 24 pitches, 20 strikes.

Santa Clara was able to score a run without a hit in the bottom of the third. Drew Ozanne drew an eight-pitch walk to start things and swiped second on a failed hit and run on the first pitch to Zach Looney. D. Ozanne moved to third on a groundout to second. Kert Woods hit a shallow fly to right field but it was deep enough to get D. Ozanne home to give Santa Clara the early 1-0 lead.

Greg Harisis continued his hot hitting with a leadoff single to left in the bottom of the fourth. He stole second on a pitch-out but was unable to move to third on a groundout to third by Quinton Perry. After Matt Ozanne grounded out to short, Casey Munoz roped a RBI double to left center to put the Broncos up 2-0.

Evan Brisentine came out of the bullpen to start the fifth and walked Brian Mundell and John Schuknecht to start the inning. Peter Van Gansen laid down a bunt for a single to load the bases for the top of the order and Elliot Stewart. Stewart went down swinging but Chavez hit a sacrifice fly to left to get the Mustangs on the board. Brisentine induced a grounder to short to escape the jam with Santa Clara still on top 2-1.

D. Ozanne singled up the middle with no outs in the bottom of the fifth and Looney advanced him with a sac bunt. Woods went down swinging but Justin Viele hit a high chopper over the head of the third baseman for a RBI single to get Santa Clara back on top by two.

Kenny Treadwell made his season debut in the top of the sixth and got the first two outs but Nick Torres singled up the middle and Mundell walked. On the first pitch to pinch hitter Wise, the Mustangs tied the game on an RBI double to left center.

Stewart and Chavez both singled to start the top of the seventh off of Reece Karalus. Karalus was lifted for Chris Mendoza who uncorked a wild pitch on his first offering to advance the runners. Jimmy Allen walked to load the bases and Armendariz hit an infield single to third to keep the bases loaded and five Cal Poly its first lead of the game at 4-3. Jordan Brower hit a sac fly to left to bring in another run but Mendoza got a double play to escape the inning with the score 5-3.

The Broncos got a run back when Woods walked and Harisis doubled him home with one down in the bottom of the seventh. Perry hit a sharp single to left that put runners on the corners with one out. Cal Poly brought in the lefty Taylor Chris who escaped the jam with the lead in tact.

Viele led off the bottom of the ninth with a four-pitch walk and Harisis singled to right center, just off the glove of the right fielder to put runners on the corners. Two strikeouts and a stolen base put runners on second and third with two down for Munoz. Munoz went down swinging to end the game.

Game Notes: First pitch was at 3:02 … Attendance was 609 … Time of game was 3:06 … Quinton Perry walked to lead off the sixth but was picked off first … C.J. Jacobe pinch-hit for Zach Looney in the bottom of the eighth … Kyle Cortopassi entered the game for defense in the top of the ninth … Santa Clara used seven pitchers.