SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Opening the final weekend of the season, Santa Clara baseball lost to LMU by a final score of 12-6. The Broncos are now 13-38 overall and 0-22 in conference while the Lions are 23-27 and 11-11 in WCC action.
The Broncos return to the field tomorrow, Sat., May 18 at 2 p.m.
Reece Karalus (0-9, 7.04) started for Santa Clara and got a loss in 0.2 innings. Karalus allowed six runs, four earned, on five hits with one walk and one strikeout. The offense was led by C.J. Jacobe who was 3-4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI and Matt Ozanne who had a home run and two RBI.
Aaron Griffin (, 3.07) started for LMU and got a win in 7.0 innings. Griffin allowed six runs on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts. The offense was led by Colton Plaia who was 4-5 with two home runs, a double, three runs scored and four RBI. Cullen Mahoney was 3-4 with two doubles, a walk, a run scored and two RBI.
Justin Viele and Zach Looney hit back-to-back doubles to start the game and put Santa Clara on top early.
The Lions roared back with six runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Matt Lowenstein walked and Mahoney singled to right to put runners on the corners. David Edwards followed with a double down the left field line to bring in the first run and Plaia crushed his first homer of the game to make it 4-0. Tanner Donnels became the fifth straight LMU batter to reach to open the game before a strike out was recorded. Cole Trezek reached on a fielder's choice as both runners were safe on an error. Kevin Garcia grounded out to bring in a run and Zac Fujimoto singled up the middle to bring in the sixth run of the inning. Chris Mendoza came in to pitch for Karalus and got the third out on a grounder to second.
After the first out was recorded in the top o the third, Looney and Casey Munoz hit back-to-back singles. Jacobe crushed a 1-0 pitch down the right field line for a home run that got to Broncos within two at 6-4.
LMU answered with a three-spot of its own in the bottom of the frame. Chris Barnett singled up the middle to start the inning and Trezek laid down a sac bunt. Garcia walked and Fujimoto went down looking for the second out. The Lions were able to rally with a single and a double to score three runs and push the lead back out to five.
Plaia smashed his second homer of the game leading off the bottom of the fourth to make the score 10-4.
Jacobe kept his hot stretch going with a single through the right side leading off the top of the sixth. Two batters later M. Ozanne homered to left field for the fifth and six Bronco runs of the night.
Plaia led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and Donnels reached on an error when he laid down a sacrifice bunt. Barnett made the mistake hurt when he single to left center to score the run. After another sac bunt move the runners to second and third, Garcia hit a sac fly to center that made the score 12-6 Lions.
Neither team scored again in the final three innings and LMU came away with the win.