Posted: Apr 27, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO – Jake MacNichols hit the go ahead RBI double in the 12th inning to help Santa Clara baseball take down San Francisco 4-3 in a West Coast Conference series opener on Friday at Benedetti Diamond.
With the win, the Broncos (18-21, 5-11 WCC) gained a game on the conference co-leader Dons (23-19, 12-7 WCC).
In the top of the 12th, MacNichols (2-for-4, R, 3 RBIs) lofted the ball down the left field line bringing home Matt Smithwick (2-for-4, 3 R, RBI) all the way from first to put the Broncos ahead 4-3. Smithwick, who reached base after getting hit in the leg on a bouncer from San Francisco reliever Brendan Jenkins, got a good jump on the ball to score with one out in the inning.
Smithwick had a hand in each of the extra inning runs for the Broncos.
In a 2-2 tie ballgame in the 10th, the two teams exchanged runs. Smithwick put the Broncos up 3-2 on a solo home run off Jenkins clearing the 36 foot high home run tape on the right field netting.
The Dons (23-19, 12-7 WCC) tied it up in the home half when Jonathan Allen scored from third on a Luke Martin-Resnick induced 4-6-3 double play with the bases loaded and no out. Martin-Resnick escaped the inning allowing just the tying run after the Dons loaded the bases on a walk issued by Michael Praszker followed by back-to-back singles to Riley Helland and Michael Perri that Martin-Resnick gave up.
Martin-Resnick (2-1) pitched the final three innings, allowing three hits and no runs to pick up the win for the Broncos. Jenkins (2-2) took the loss for the Dons.
Both starting pitchers had strong outings with pace to their pitching. Bronco starter Freddie Erlandson went 6 2/3 innings scattering just three hits and two runs while walking two and fanning six. The six-foot-six right-hander did not allow a hit between the third and sixth innings, issuing a walk and hitting a batter in that span.
Thomas Ponticelli started on the bump for the Dons going eight innings, allowing six hits and two runs. The two runs given up were on MacNichols' home run in the second with Smithwick on base.
With the quick pace of the starting pitchers, the game time was only three hours two minutes despite going 12 innings.
Joe Becht and Austin Reyes also had two hits each for the Broncos who collected 10 total in the game against seven hits for the Dons. Michael Perri had three of the hits for San Francisco.
Game two of the series is at 1 p.m. PT on Saturday. The Broncos will send right-hander Travis Howard (1-1, 6.03 ERA) against Dons right-hander Riley Ornido (8-1, 1.58 ERA).
