MANHATTAN, Kan. — Santa Clara baseball lost the last of a three-game set 10-3 on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium. The Broncos scored all three of their runs in the fifth inning, after the Wildcats drove in the first eight runs of the series finale.
Starting pitcher Kevin George (L, 1-1) allowed eight runs (three earned) on 13 hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings for the Broncos (7-8). Kansas State starter Corey Fischer gave up three earned runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Douglas Jackson (W, 1-0) earned his first winning decision of the season by throwing 2.0 shutout innings in relief for the Wildcats (7-7).
Kansas State scored two runs in the second and third innings to jump out to a 4-0 lead. With two outs in the fourth, the home team drove in runs in four consecutive at-bats, including an RBI triple and two RBI doubles to make the score 8-0. Shane Conlon and Tyler Moore each went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs for the Wildcats, and Conlon led all batters with three runs scored.
Santa Clara got on the board on the strength of an RBI single from TC Florentine with no outs in the fifth inning. Grant Meylan's RBI bunt single brought Florentine home and capped the three-run frame to put the deficit at 8-3. Florentine led the Broncos by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Mitchell White struck out two batters in his only inning of work and Nick Medeiros recorded a pair of outs in the sixth with one strikeout. Reece Karalus pitched the final 2.1 innings of the afternoon, allowing no runs or hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
The Broncos travel south to LMU for their West Coast Conference opening series Friday at 6 p.m.
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 12:07 p.m. … time of game was 2:44 … attendance was 2,331 … the Broncos played without the injured Jose Vizcaino, Jr. for the fifth straight game.
