WATCH | Highlights/Postgame Interviews
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball closed out the Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament with a 5-3 victory over No. 14 Michigan Friday night at Schott Stadium. The Broncos scored four runs in the first three innings and starting pitcher Jason Seever recorded the longest outing of his career to earn his second win in as many starts.
Santa Clara posted a 2-2 record in the tournament; the Broncos (5-3) also won against Utah Valley Friday night.
"It was a good team win," junior catcher Stevie Berman said. "We knew Michigan had a pretty good starter throwing today. We had a good plan from (assistant coaches Keith Beauregard and Justin Viele) and we stuck to it. We played an all-around good game — clean baseball — and that's what we strive for every game."
Kert Woods' RBI double down the right field line drove in the first run of the game with one out in the second inning. In the third, Berman struck with a two-run double and later scored on a wild pitch to put Santa Clara ahead 4-0. Woods, Berman and John Cresto each had two-hit outings and Grant Meylan was walked twice.
Seever (W, 2-0) faced three batters above the minimum through his first four innings. The lefthander struck out three straight batters looking between the second and third frames as part of a seven-strikeout night to match the career-best mark he set last Sunday.
"(Jason's) awesome, he mixes his pitches really well," Berman said. "To go from a relief role to a starting pitcher is big-time for us; he's really stepping up."
Nick Medeiros relieved Seever and retired all five batters he faced through the second out of the eighth. The Wolverines (5-2) put two runners on against Bronco reliever Travis Howard and Jonathan Engelmann stepped to the plate with two outs representing the potential go-ahead run. Santa Clara called on closer Max Kuhns, who struck out Englemann on a 2-2 pitch to keep the hosts ahead by two runs.
Kuhns (SV, 4) added a second strikeout as part of a 1-2-3 ninth inning in which he used only eight pitches. Santa Clara's pitching staff combined to limit Michigan's 1-4 batters to a single hit.
"It's not really a different mentality," Kuhns said of taking on this year's closer role. "I just have to get three outs, and if I make it simple, that's the mentality I want to have.
"It's nice to have a great defense every single day. If I get them involved, it makes my job that much easier."
Harrison Wenson drove in all three runs for the Wolverines. He homered to lead off the fifth and added a two-run single in the sixth, which cut Santa Clara's lead to one. Cody Bruder topped Michigan with three hits. The Broncos scored four runs on six hits against Michigan starter Evan Hill (L, 1-1), and chased the lefthander with one out in the fourth.
Santa Clara plays the first of five straight road games Tuesday against Nevada at 3 p.m. The Wolf Pack (3-5) was swept at UC Irvine this weekend.
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 6:15 p.m. … time of the game was 3:22 … attendance was 514 … Santa Clara and Michigan met for the third time in series history and the first time since 1967 (49 years) on Friday … the Broncos defeated the Wolverines for the first time in the series.
