SAN FRANCISCO – Santa Clara baseball opened West Coast Conference play with a 3-2 victory on the road against San Francisco.

The Broncos (10-6, 1-0 WCC) got on the board right away and built a 3-0 lead before the Dons (11-9, 0-1 WCC) came back to get within one after single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Nick Sando would shut things down the rest of the way to seal the win.

Sando picked up his second save with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out seven. Santa Clara starter Cole Kitchen (2-1) was solid in his 5 1/3 innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.

On the offensive side, JonJon Berring had two hits and walk out of the leadoff spot, using his speed in the first to lay down a bunt hit and come around to score later in the inning. Michael O'Hara was the one who knocked him in and added an RBI double in the third. Matt Jew added a pair of hits as well and Eamonn Lance collected an RBI.

The Dons used a two-out rally, capped by Luke Keaschall's RBI single, in the fifth to get on the board and then cut the deficit to 3-2 on Jordan Vujovich's run-scoring single in the next inning.

Keaschall finished with two hits but the Dons' offense managed just three other hits in the game.

Owen Stevenson started and took the loss. He allowed three runs on nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Lance Santerre was terrific in the final 4 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just a walk while striking out four.

NEXT UP
The teams play again tomorrow at 1 p.m.

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