Posted: Mar 10, 2019
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Omaha starting pitcher Andrew Brighton allowed one run and one hit over six innings and the Mavericks put up all of its runs in the fifth to beat Santa Clara baseball, 4-2 in the series finale on Sunday.
Santa Clara (3-12) starter Russell Grant II cruised through the first four frames when he retired 12 of the first 13 Mavericks hitters, allowing just one hit while striking out five before the Omaha (8-5-1) lineup got to him scoring four runs on three hits, a walk, a hit batman and aided by a Broncos defensive miscue.
Grant gave up a leadoff single to Brett Bonar followed by a walk to Parker Smejkal to start the fifth. The runners moved to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Braden Rogers. Ben Palensky's grounder to short brought home Bonar for the first run of the game but Broncos shortstop Dawson Brigman's throwing error pulled Ryan McCarthy off first base in what should have been the second out. With runners at first and second and one out, Max Gamm's infield single loaded the bases. An RBI single by Joe Lombardi made it 2-0 and Breyden Eckhout pushed another run across when he was hit by a pitch to knock Grant out of the game.
With the bases loaded still, Keil Krumwiede 's RBI grounder against Broncos reliever Locke Bernhardt made it 4-0 before Thomas Debonville struck out to end the inning.
Trailing 4-0, the Broncos finally got to Brighton in the sixth, putting two runners on base when Connor Henriques led off the inning with a single for the first Bronco hit of the game, followed by Brigman getting hit by a pitch. Cam Allie moved the runners over to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Jason Dicochea's RBI grounder put the Broncos on the scoring column, 4-1.
Santa Clara added another run in the eighth to cut the lead to 4-2 on Dicochea's single scoring McCarthy off Mavericks reliever Jonas Lovin who came in relief of Brighton in the seventh. With two runners on, Lovin got Broncos slugger Andre Nnebe to ground out to end the inning.
The Broncos had another opportunity in the bottom of the ninth when pinch-hitter Austin Reyes singled off Jackson Gordon with one out but the Mavericks right-hander retired the next two Broncos to close out the game to earn his first save of the season.
Brighton (2-0) earned the win and Grant (0-1) took the loss.
Next up
Santa Clara opens West Coast Conference play on the road at LMU on Friday for a three-game series.