April 26, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University baseball team won its seventh-straight West Coast Conference game on Saturday, defeating Loyola Marymount by a score of 3-2 on a sunny day at Buck Shaw Stadium. With the win the Broncos improve their season record to 23-22 while their WCC mark increases to 15-5. The Lions fall to 22-22 overall while their league record drops to 9-11.
Kellan McConnell picked up the win for the Broncos after throwing six full innings in which he allowed only one run on three hits while walking two and striking out six. It was his longest outing on the season as his pitch count was increased to 85 for the game as he is still recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had last spring.
Scott Shapiro, Patrick McBride and Anthony Rea each threw one full inning to preserve the win for the Broncos. Each struck out one batter with McBride being the only other Bronco besides McConnell to give up a LMU hit. Rea faced four batters in the ninth but picked up his strikeout to end the game, giving him his second save on the year.
A.J. LaBarbera and Michael Lange each went 2-for-3 on the day, but it was Lange's RBI triple in the bottom of the third inning that tied the score at one apiece. Lange would come around to score later in the third, giving SCU a 2-1 lead, on a Jack Headley sacrifice fly. Scott Dierks' sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth that scored Ryan Chiarelli gave the Broncos a cushion run that they would end up needing.
LMU scored both of their runs without getting a hit. Jon Higashi's sacrifice fly in the top of the third scored Chris Pettit to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. Sean Smith scored Loyola Marymount's lone other run in the top of the seventh inning on a wild pitch from Shapiro. Both LMU runners that scored originally reached on a walk.
Kyle Huddy went the distance for the Lions, allowing the three runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He faced only five batters more than the minimum as two LMU double plays kept them in the ball game.
The Broncos also turned two double plays and did not commit an error in the field en route to the victory. SCU stranded only two base runners while LMU left six runners on base.
Santa Clara looks for the three-game sweep of Loyola Marymount on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at "The Shaw."