SANTA CLARA, Calif. – In its second consecutive extra-inning game, Santa Clara baseball fell to San Francisco by a final score of 4-2 in 13 innings. The Broncos are now 9-23 overall and 0-11 in conference while the Dons are 19-15 and 7-4 in WCC action.
The Broncos return to the field tomorrow, Sun., April 14 at 1 p.m. to finish the series with the Dons.
Powell Fansler (0-0, 2.00) started for Santa Clara and picked up a no-decision in 4.0 innings. Fansler allowed two runs on six hits with three walks and one strikeout. D.J. Zapata (0-2, 5.62) got the loss while tossing 0.2 innings out of the bullpen. The offense was led by T.J. Braff who was 4-6 with a home run and two RBI. Casey Munoz was 3-6 with a double and a run scored while Justin Viele was 2-5 with a RBI and two hit by pitches.
Alex Balog (2-3, 3.43) started for San Francisco and got a no-decision in 7.0-plus innings. Balog allowed three runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Haden Hinkle (7-1, 1.34) got the win while tossing 2.2 innings out of the bullpen. The offense was led by Bradley Zimmer who was 2-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Bob Cruikshank was 3-7 with a double and RBI while Mitchell Rowan was 2-3 with a run scored, a walk and a double.
Rowan clubbed a one out double to right center in the top of the second and Brendan Hendriks was hit by a pitch. Josh Miller followed with a RBI single up the middle to give USF the early lead. After the second out was recorded, Justin Maffei loaded the bases with a sharp single to left. Fansler got a strike out to escape the inning with the score 1-0.
Braff singled to left with one out in the bottom of the second and stole second. He moved to third on a wild pitch and Matt Ozanne drew a walk to put runners on the corners but Kyle DeMerritt grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Zimmer hit a 2-0 pitch out to left center to put the Dons up 2-0 in the top of the third. The Dons put two more runners on but were unable to score.
Munoz started the home half of the fourth with a base hit up the middle and he moved into scoring position on a groundout. Braff crushed his first collegiate home run to left to tie the score. DeMerritt doubled with two outs and stole third on a 1-1 pitch to Ben Wright but was stranded.
Ryan Matranga singled up the middle to start the sixth for the Dons. Greg Harisis made a nice play to his left but his throw in the dirt got past Braff at first to put runners on the corners with one out. Zimmer followed with a sac fly to left to put San Francisco back on top 3-2.
Cruikshank started the seventh with a chopper up the middle for a single. Rowan followed with a solid liner to center to put two on with no outs. Max Deering came in to pitch and retired the next three batters in order. Harisis made a nice play on a smash to third to finish off the Dons.
Wright singled on a flare just over the outstretched Jason Mahood at second to start the home half of the seventh. Kert Woods came in to pinch run and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stephen Takahashi. Viele tied the game with a single to left and moved to second on the throw to the plate. After a ground out by Looney, Munoz stroked a ball to left but it hung up and was caught for the third out.
Viele was hit by a pitch with one down in the bottom of the ninth inning. After Looney reached first on a fielder's choice, Munoz doubled to left to put the winning run 90 feet away. Harisis was intentionally walked to bring Braff, who had already homered on the day, to the plate. Braff went down swinging to send the game to extra innings.
Harisis reached on an error to start the bottom of the 12th and went to third on a single to left by Braff. M. Ozanne grounded out to third with the infield in for the first out. With runners now on second and third, DeMerritt was intentionally walked to load the bases. Woods missed a bunt on a suicide squeeze and Harisis was tagged out with the back runners advancing. Woods eventually grounded out to second for the third out.
Mahood laid down a bunt single and Zimmer followed with a base hit to right with one out in the 13th. Turner singled up the middle and off of Viele's glove to bring in the go ahead run and make the score 4-3. Cruikshank doubled in another run to end the day for Zapata. Nick Medeiros came in and intentionally walked Mott to load the bases. Medeiros got the opposing pitcher to ground into an inning ending double play.
Santa Clara couldn't muster a rally in the bottom of the 13th and lost 5-3.
Game Notes: First pitch was at 3:02 … Time of game was 4:19 … Attendance was 492 … Jake Steffens came in to pitch in the top of the fifth … Bradley Zimmer gunned down Justin Viele trying to go first to third on a single in the bottom of the fifth … Santa Clara had two runners thrown out on the bases in the bottom of the fifth … Andrew Pulido came in to pitch after one batter in the bottom of the eighth … Haden Hinkle came in to pitch in the bottom of the 11th … D.J. Zapata came in to pitch with two outs in the top of the 12th … It was the second consecutive extra innings game for the two teams … There were 31 runners left on base (USF – 17, SCU - 14).