SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball extended its winning streak to four games Friday night with an 8-2 win over Eastern Michigan to open a four-game series at Schott Stadium. The Broncos drove in six runs in the first two innings and starting pitcher Jake Steffens left the game one out shy of matching a career-best 8.0 innings to earn his second win in as many starts.
Santa Clara answered Eastern Michigan's first-inning run with three-run efforts in the second and third. Jake Brodt walked in run and T.J. Braff followed with a two-run single to make it 3-1 Broncos through the end of the first. In the second inning, Jose Vizcaino, Jr. hit his second double of the game to drive in a pair of runs and later scored Santa Clara's sixth run of the game when Ryan Budnick was thrown out trying to take second to give the Broncos (5-3) a 6-1 edge.
"We did a good job of setting the tone in the first inning," head coach Dan O'Brien said. "I thought their guy did a good job of handling it and setting in, but we elevated his pitch count early which obviously helped us later in the ballgame."
Vizcaino, Jr., the two-time reigning WCC Rawlings Player of the week, went a perfect 3-for-3 in the victory with a career-high three doubles, two RBIs, two runs scored, a stolen base and a hit by pitch. The La Jolla, Calif. native has hit safely in all eight games to start the season. He entered the season with 10 career doubles, and has already recorded six two-baggers in the young 2015 campaign.
"I definitely squared up some baseballs. They gave me good pitches to hit," Vizcaino, Jr. said. "I think we all did well to get in advantage counts and people were getting on base and stealing bags. I think a few of my hits were with guys on base, so it's awesome to square up a ball and see a guy score. That's what it's all about."
"What's fun about watching Jose play now is his level of comfort with who he is and what he's capable of," O'Brien said. "He does such a good job of staying within himself that it almost looks like he's not playing hard. That's the sign of a player who's figured some things out."
Eight of Santa Clara's nine starters reached base safely as Vizcaino, Jr. Braff and Brodt each drove in a pair of runs. Budnick led the Broncos with two walks and Grant Meylan scored a pair of runs in the victory.
Steffens (W, 2-1) threw 7.2 innings and allowed one earned run on eight hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He faced one batter above the minimum in four of his seven complete innings and struck out the side in the sixth. The Phoenix, Ariz. native teamed up with the Bronco defense for a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play to stop the biggest threat for the Eagles (3-7) through the first eight innings.
"The first inning was tough; my arm felt really good and I was just trying to throw the ball too hard," Steffens said. "As soon I settled in with my gameplan, I was feeling good and tried to ride it out as long as I could go."
"Jake did a good job of battling through some things tonight," O'Brien said. "He wasn't at his best, which makes his start that much more impressive. He really impressed me with how he handled himself tonight."
Eastern Michigan starter Ryan Lavoie (L, 1-2) surrendered six earned runs in the first two innings before tossing four shutout frames for the visiting side. He walked three batters and struck out six as part of a six-inning evening. Brennan Williams reached base four times for the Eagles on the strength of a pair of singles and two walks. Jackson Martin and Mitchell McGeein each drove in a run for the offense.
Meylan scored on a passed ball and Jake Brodt hit an RBI sac fly to left with Eastern Michigan's Matthew Beaton on the mound to make the score 8-1 Broncos in the seventh. In his Bronco debut, Michael Bono recorded strikeouts for the final two outs of the ninth and retired four batters to finish out the game.
The Broncos and Eagles play a 6 p.m. game Saturday with Santa Clara's Steven Wilson (0-0, 4.50 ERA) and Eastern Michigan's LHP Charlie Land (0-1, 6.10 ERA) in line for the starting nods. Sunday's doubleheader features a 1 p.m. first pitch for the nine-inning opener followed by a seven-inning nightcap set to start approximately 30 minutes after the final out of Game 1.
"All around, it was a good effort by the team," Vizcaino, Jr. said. "We've got three more games, so that's what were looking forward to now."
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 6:01 p.m. … time of game was 2:59 … attendance was 213.
