SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara Broncos opened up a 4-1 lead in the first inning against the Loyola Marymount Lions Friday night at Schott Stadium, and conceded six runs in the first three innings of a 6-5 loss. Santa Clara starting pitcher D.J. Zapata recorded all but one out with 8.2 innings and the Broncos had late rallies in the latter half of the game fall short.
Zapata (L, 3-6) allowed six runs (four earned) on 11 hits with two walks and four strikeouts. After giving up six runs in the first three innings, the senior faced the minimum four times in four consecutive innings from the fifth to the eighth.
LMU starting pitcher Colin Welmon (W, 7-2) threw 6.0 innings and allowed four earned runs on four hits with four walks and one strikeout. Bret Dahlson (SV, 8) retired four of the five batters he faced, including the last out of the eighth with runners on first and second in a one-run game.
The Lions (25-17, 13-6 WCC) scored the first run of the game on a Santa Clara error in the top of the first. With the bases loaded and two outs in second, senior first baseman T.J. Braff battled in a 14-pitch at-bat to record an RBI walk and tie the score at one. Senior designated hitter Quinton Perry followed with a three-run double to left to give the Broncos (17-24, 8-8 WCC) a 4-1 lead.
Loyola Marymount tied the game at 4-4 the next inning on an RBI from freshman center fielder Austin Miller, followed by a run on a wild pitch and another on Santa Clara's second error in as many innings. The Lions took their second lead of the game at 6-4 in the third on an RBI groundout from junior second baseman David Edwards and an RBI sacrifice fly from junior designated hitter Jimmy Jack.
Braff produced the only run in the game's last six innings with an RBI single to drive in sophomore shortstop Jose Vizcaino, Jr. and make the score 6-5 in the eighth. Vizcaino, Jr. led the Broncos with two hits and two runs scored for a team that plated all five of its runs with two outs Friday night. The Broncos went on to leave the bases loaded in the eighth and did not get a baserunner against Dahlson in the ninth.
Game Notes: First pitch was at 6:06 p.m. … time of game was 3:04 … attendance was 310.