Posted: Feb 18, 2018
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball lost the rubber match of the series to Boston College, 3-1, in a pitcher's dual on Sunday afternoon at Stephen Schott Stadium.
Alex Waldsmith made his first career Bronco start, pitching five strong innings allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks.
Boston College (2-1) starter Brian Rapp was equal to the task pitching six frames of no hit ball while striking out 10 Bronco hitters. Rapp was pulled after throwing 93 pitches and holding onto a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles scored in the fourth inning when Jake Alu came home from third on a ground out. Alu led off the inning with a walk and stole second before advancing to third on a throwing error by Bronco catcher Jake MacNichols.
The Broncos (1-2) got its first hit of the game in the seventh inning, off the bat of hot hitting Jake Brodt. With one out, Brodt smoked a double over the center fielder Dante Baldelli's head for his sixth hit of the series.
However, Brodt was stranded at second after cleanup hitter John Cresto struck out swinging and Niko Holm grounded out to short.
Boston College added to its lead in the eighth, scoring a pair of runs off of Santa Clara's Travis Howard on a Baldelli double and Alu's sacrifice fly.
Down 3-0 in the home half of the eighth, the Broncos attempted to mount a comeback, loading the bases on three consecutive singles by Grant Meylan, Jake MacNichols and pinch-hitter Austin Fisher. With one out, Joe Becht delivered an RBI single to left, scoring Meylan. Dicochea flied out to shallow center field before Brodt came to at-bat, once again with the bases loaded.
In Saturday's game, Brodt hit two grand slams in one inning, becoming just the seventh Division I player to do so since NCAA began keeping records in 1957.
This time around, Brodt struck out swinging to end the inning.
Rapp (1-0) picked up the win for the Eagles while Waldsmith (0-1) took the loss for the Broncos. Five Bronco pitchers combined to hold the Eagles to four hits.
Santa Clara next plays at San Jose State on Tuesday, Feb. 20. First pitch is at 5 p.m. PT.
HIGHLIGHT | Joe Becht takes a low and away pitch the opposite way for an RBI single in today's series finale! #StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/XwM8q9K47k
— Santa Clara Baseball (@SCU_Baseball) February 18, 2018
