SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Less than 24 hours after allowing 14 runs in the series-opener against San Diego, Santa Clara baseball received a solid effort from four members of the pitching staff, which scattered six hits to help the Broncos claim an efficient 5-2 win over the Toreros on Saturday.
Keegan McCarville (4-7) tossed 2 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win and Eric Lex pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save of the season.
Dawson Brigman had two hits and scored twice, and Ryan McCarthy had a pair of base hits for Santa Clara (11-33, 4-16 West Coast Conference), which scored in four of the first five innings, including a pair in the fourth.
Jake MacNichols drove in Blake Faddoul on a sacrifice fly and McCarthy, who scored in the third, benefited from the wind as his fly ball was unable to be handled by San Diego (27-20, 11-12) left fielder Stephen Dubb and fell in for a double to plate Andre Nnebe.
Santa Clara starter Holden Bernhardt surrendered just two hits in the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth, allowing three of the first five batters to reach.
McCarville came into pitch with the bases loaded and two outs, and struck out Adam Kerner looking on a 2-2 curveball to keep the lead at 4-0.
The Toreros broke through in the seventh off McCarville. Shane McGuire's groundout drove in a run and Jeff Houghtby followed by lashing a double just inside the first base bag to plate Ripken Reyes and chop the lead to 5-2.
But Santa Clara retired seven of the final eight batters.
San Diego starter Chris Murphy (4-3) suffered the loss. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings, surrendering six hits and four runs (three earned).
In Friday's series opener, Anthony Donatella pitched eight-plus innings of scoreless relief and Houghtby and Stephen Dubb each had three hits and two RBIs to pace the offense for San Diego, which overcame an early deficit to claim a 14-6 win.
NEXT UP
The Broncos and Toreros close their three-game series on Sunday. First pitch is at noon.
INTERVIEW/HIGHLIGHTS | Dawson Brigman postgame on @TheWtv after today's victory over San Diego! #StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/c8dNqkPl0p
— Santa Clara Baseball (@SCU_Baseball) May 4, 2019