SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Opening a three-game set with a Bay Area rival, Santa Clara baseball fell to San Francisco by a final score of 4-3 in 12 innings. The Broncos are now 9-22 overall and 0-10 in conference while the Dons 18-15 and 6-4 in WCC action.
The Broncos return to the field tomorrow, Sat., April 13 at 3 p.m. for the second game of the series vs. USF.
Reece Karalus (0-6, 6.92) started for Santa Clara and picked up a no-decision in 6.1 innings. Karalus allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Kenny Treadwell (1-1, 5.02) picked up the loss in 0.2 innings of relief while hitting two batters. The offense was led by Zach Looney who was 3-4 with a sacrifice bunt. Kyle DeMerritt was 2-5 with a double, two runs scored and a RBI while Matt Ozanne picked up a double and scored a run.
Abe Bobb (1-5, 3.88) started for San Francisco and got a no-decision in 7.1 innings. Bobb allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Adam Cimber (2-1, 2.57) got the win with 4.2 innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen with seven strikeouts. The offense was led by Bradley Zimmer who was 2-3 with a walk and a RBI. Jason Mahood was 2-4 with a double while Zachary Turner added a RBI.
M. Ozanne and DeMerritt got the Broncos on the board first with back-to-back hits in the bottom of the second. With one down, M. Ozanne doubled to left field and DeMerritt followed with a chopper back up the middle for a RBI single. Stephen Takahashi hit a routine grounder to third but, Bob Cruikshank threw the ball in the dirt and past the first baseman that allowed the second run of the inning to come across.
Justin Maffei led off the top of the fourth with a walk and stole second on the next pitch. Mahood legged out an infield single to put runners on the corners with no outs and Zimmer knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Ryan Matranga reached on an error to start the sixth and with one down Mahood doubled to right field, just past the dive of Casey Munoz. Zimmer was intentionally walked to load the bases. Turner followed with a single on a 2-0 pitch to left to tie the game at 2-2. After a visit to the mound by head coach Dan O'Brien, Karalus went 3-0 on Harrison Bruce but came back to get a strikeout. Cruikshank stroked a ball to center that M. Ozanne had to leap for with his back to home plate to end the inning.
Brendan Hendriks started the seventh with a base hit back through the middle. Josh Miller laid down a sacrifice bunt and Matranga was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out. Karalus was lifted for Max Deering who came in and got the second out on a fielder's choice. Maffei stole second but Deering closed out the frame with a strikeout.
Viele led off the bottom of the eighth with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Looney. Adam Cimber came in to pitch and got a strikeout of Munoz before intentionally walking Greg Harisis. Drew Ozanne pinch hit for T.J. Braff but grounded back to the pitcher.
Miller was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the 12th. After being erased on a fielder's choice, Maffei was hit by a pitch also to put the go ahead run in scoring position. Chris Mendoza entered the game and got a grounder to short but Viele threw in the dirt and it got past D. Ozanne at first to let the go ahead run score. After an intentional walk to Zimmer, Turner was hit by a pitch to bring in another run.
DeMerritt led off the bottom of the 12th with a double to left center and moved to third on a groundout. Takahashi grounded out to bring in the run but it was the second out of the inning.
Game Notes: First pitch was at 6:03 … Time of game was ??? … Attendance was 322 … It was the first career for Ben Wright who was at DH for Santa Clara … Zach Looney gunned down Bradley Zimmer trying to steal second to end the top of the first … D.J. Zapata struck out the side in the top of the ninth … Jourdan Weiks pinch ran in the top of the 12th … It was the second extra inning game of the year for Santa Clara.