PROVO, Utah — Santa Clara baseball got on the scoreboard in the first inning Thursday night before BYU scored eight unanswered runs to win 8-2 at Miller Park. The Cougars pulled ahead for good in the West Coast Conference matchup by scoring two runs in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.
The Broncos (23-27, 10-15 WCC) have scored first in 32 of their 50 games this season. The Cougars (35-15, 16-9 WCC) clinched a berth in the WCC Baseball Championship with the victory.
Bronco batting average leader Kyle Cortopassi started the game with a single to right field and made his way to third on a two-base throwing error against Cougar starter Mike Rucker. Cortopassi scored on Kert Woods' ground ball to shortstop, which BYU's Hayden Nielsen threw high to first base for an error. Two batters later, Tyler Meditz hit an RBI single to score Woods and put the Broncos on top 2-0.
Santa Clara loaded the bases with one out in the second and got a leadoff double from TC Florentine in third, but could not add to the lead in either inning. Rucker (W, 11-0) retired 12 straight batters after Florentine's double and allowed only one baserunner to reach through his departure after the seventh. The right-hander surrendered only two unearned runs with five strikeouts; BYU finished the regular season 14-0 in Rucker's weekend starts.
Steven Wilson (L, 5-5) allowed five runs (five earned) on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 4.0+ innings for the Broncos. The Cougars brought in runs during five of their last six offensive innings. Daniel Schneemann scored the game-tying run a wild pitch in the fourth and after a 38-minute lightning delay, Brennon Lund hit an RBI single to put the hosts on top. BYU added three runs in the fifth on Keaton Kringlen's two-run double and a Bronco error.
Woods and Meditz each drove in a run for Santa Clara and Evan Haberle got on base twice for the Broncos. Kringlen led all batters by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Broncos and Cougars meet for Game 2 of the series Friday night at 5 p.m. PDT. WCC strikeout leader Mitchell White (3-6, 3.49 ERA) matches up with BYU lefty Riley Gates (2-1, 4.61 ERA).
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 6:05 p.m. … time of the game was 3:28 … there was a 38-minute lightning delay in the bottom of the fourth … attendance was 1,487.
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