PROVO, Utah – In a game dominated by offense, Santa Clara baseball lost a 9-8 heartbreaker to BYU in walk-off fashion Friday night.
Santa Clara would take three multiple run leads only to see BYU come back to tie the game each time. The Cougars first lead of the game came when the winning run scored in the bottom of the ninth.
With Santa Clara (23-28, 10-16 WCC) holding an 8-6 lead and single season save leader Max Kuhns on the mound for his second inning of work in the ninth, BYU put up a three-spot to win. Three singles and a walk started the inning and tied the game at 8-all before an out was recorded. After another single loaded the bases, Daniel Schneemann lifted a sac fly to right for the winning run.
Kuhns (L, 1-4) went 1 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with a walk.
Bronco starter Mitchell White went 7 innings but got a no-decision. He allowed six runs, five earned, on 10 hits with four walks and two strikeouts. He moved into the top-10 in Santa Clara single season history with his 118th strikeout of the season in the sixth inning.
The first four batters of the game reached without the benefit of a hit thanks to two walks and two hit batters from Cougars starter Riley Gates to put Santa Clara on top 1-0 right away. The Broncos would use a single and a pair of productive outs to make it 4-0 after a half inning.
BYU (36-15, 17-9 WCC) didn't stay down long, however, and came back to tie things up in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, three straight singles tied the score at 4-4. A double play finally put an end to the inning.
Two innings later, a leadoff walk to Grant Meylan in the fourth almost went to waste but Stevie Berman launched a two-run shot to left to put Santa Clara back on top 6-4.
Berman would finish the game with three hits, a walk, and two runs scored. John Cresto also added a pair of hits to go with an RBI and a run scored.
Again the Cougars answered the Bronco offense. With two down and runners on first and second, Brennon Lund singled down the left field line to bring in a run and an error by left fielder Tyler Meditz let the tying run score.
Meditz atoned for his mistake when he led off the next half inning with a solo shot to left that put Santa Clara back up 7-6.
Mason Marshall (W, 3-3) pitched the final 3 innings for BYU and allowed three hits with a single run coming in the ninth that looked like it would serve as insurance for Santa Clara.
The Broncos and Cougars finish the regular season tomorrow at 5 p.m. PDT. Jason Seever (6-2, 4.65 ERA) is slated to start for Santa Clara with the BYU starter TBA.
Game Notes: First pitch was 5:06 PDT … time of game was 3:34 … there was a 30-minute lightning delay after the first batter … attendance was 1,647.
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