Photos from the Game (Credit Samuel Stringer)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball lost a 10-inning game 5-4 and a seven-inning game 11-7 Sunday at Schott Stadium to split a four-game series with the Eastern Michigan Eagles. The Broncos combined to leave 23 runners on base in 17 doubleheader innings while the Eagles posted a four-run inning three times as part of their victories.
The losses snapped a five-game winning streak for the Broncos (6-5) while the Eagles (5-8) recorded consecutive wins for the first time this season.
GAME 1: Broncos Erase Four-Run Deficit, Fall in Extras 5-4
Eastern Michigan scored four runs in the first inning on a two-run double from Mitchell McGeein and a two-run homer from the next batter, John Montgomery. The Eagles got off to a fast start in the third game of the series after combining to score five runs Friday and Saturday night.
After allowing four runs in the first, Bronco starting pitcher Peter Hendron tossed 3.2 scoreless frames prior to his exit in the fifth. He allowed four earned runs on five hits with four walks and one strikeout. Eastern Michigan starter Jake Andrews allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
The Broncos went scoreless in the first two innings and scored in three of the next four innings to cut into the Eastern Michigan lead. Kyle Cortopassi drove in Santa Clara's first run with an RBI groundout in the third, and two innings later TC Florentine scored on a wild pitch to pull the Broncos within two runs at 4-2.
T.J. Braff led off the sixth with a solo home run to make the score 4-3. Braff tied Florentine and Austin Fisher with a game-high three hits as the Broncos recorded 12 hits in the day's first contest. Fisher added a walk to reach base four times.
Chasing one run in the seventh, the Broncos got a leadoff double from Cortopassi to start the inning. The Bronco backstop crossed home plate to tie the score at 4-4 on an RBI single by the next batter, Kyle Czaplak.
Florentine and Fisher singled, followed by a Grant Meylan walk to load the bases with no outs in the eighth for Santa Clara. Eastern Michigan reliever Sam Delaplane (W, 2-0) struck out the next three Bronco batters in order to end the inning. Delaplane earned the winning decision by throwing 4.0 relief innings with seven strikeouts.
In the top of the 10th, Eastern Michigan's John Rubino scored the game-winning run from second on a single by Jordan Peterson and an error by Fisher at shortstop in the same sequence. The Eagles took their second lead of the game at 5-4 against Reece Karalus (L, 1-2), who stayed on the mound for extra innings after recording a pair of outs to end the ninth.
GAME 2: Broncos Score First, Rally Late in 11-7 Loss
Santa Clara scored the game's only run of the first three innings on an RBI infield single by Fisher in the second to drive in Jake Brodt against Eastern Michigan's Augie Gallardo. The Eagle starter Gallardo (W, 1-1) threw 6.0+ innings and allowed four earned runs on 10 hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Santa Clara starter Evan Brisentine (L, 0-1) threw 3.0+ innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with no walks and a strikeout.
Eastern Michigan scored 11 straight runs in the last four innings of the seven-inning game, including four in the fourth and four in the seventh to make the lead 11-1. McGeein hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats — a leadoff shot in the fourth followed by a two-run homer as the second batter of the fifth — to lead all batters with three RBIs in the nightcap.
Down to its last three outs of the game, Santa Clara fought back in the seventh on the strength of an RBI double by Tyler Meditz, two-run single by Joe Becht and RBI single by Braden Frankfort to pull within six runs at 11-5. Cortopassi followed Frankfort's trip to the plate with a two-run homer to left to make the score 11-7. Kyle Huckaby relieved Michael Marsinek for the Eagles after the homer to retire the final two batters of the game.
Meylan reached base safely three times while Cortopassi and Becht tied for the Bronco lead with two RBIs.
Santa Clara travels to Cal Poly for a 6 p.m. first pitch Tuesday, March 3 against the Mustangs before heading East to Kansas State for a weekend series with the Wildcats March 6-8.
DOUBLEHEADER NOTES: First pitch of Game 1 was at 1:03 p.m. … time of game was 3:32 … first pitch of Game 2 was at 5:11 p.m. … time of game was 2:40 … attendance for the doubleheader was 326.
