SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball erased a 5-0 deficit with a five-run seventh inning Friday night, and Saint Mary's got a two-run homer from Anthony Villa in the ninth on its way to a 7-5 West Coast Conference victory. The Broncos left the potential game-tying run at the plate twice and the potential go-ahead run at second once in the last five innings.
The Broncos (11-13, 1-3 WCC) mounted a two-out rally with five runs on three hits in the seventh. Ryan Budnick reached on an error to bring across Santa Clara's first run and Kyle Cortopassi followed with a two-run double to make the score 5-3. Budnick scored on a wild pitch and Grant Meylan knocked a single through the left side to tie the game.
After Stevie Berman walked to put the go-ahead run at second base, TC Florentine — batting for the second time in the seventh — flew out to center field to end the inning. The Broncos sent 10 batters to the plate in their highest-scoring frame of the season.
Villa's game-deciding homer came with one out in the ninth off Nick Medeiros (L, 1-1). Anthony Gonsolin (W, 2-0) started the game in right field and pitched 2.0 shutout innings to earn the victory for the Gaels (14-9, 5-2 WCC).
Santa Clara scored the first runs charged to Saint Mary's starter Corbin Burnes in the last 25 innings as part of its five-run seventh. Burnes pitched 6.2 innings and allowed two unearned runs on three hits with three walks and eight strikeouts; he pitched complete game shutouts in each of his last two outings.
Burnes retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced before the Broncos drew back-to-back walks from Kert Woods and John Cresto with one out in the seventh. The next batter, Austin Fisher, was called out on strikes and Cresto was picked off of first by Gael catcher Nate Nolan to end the inning. Bronco starter Mitchell White allowed three earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
The Gaels scored three runs in the second and two in the seventh — five different batters drove in a run between those two innings. Zach Kirtley and Nate Nolan led all batters with three hits apiece and Villa produced a game-high three RBIs. Meylan led the Broncos with two hits and Cortopassi drove in a Santa Clara-best two runs.
Santa Clara and Saint Mary's meet for the second game of the series Saturday night at 6 p.m. Steven Wilson (2-0, 2.43 ERA) takes the mound for the Broncos against Johnny York (2-2, 3.09).
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