Feb. 27, 2001
By Keith Candau
Media Relations Student Assistant
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University baseball team dropped a come-from-behind 7-4 decision to the Sacramento State Hornets in a game that was scheduled for one week ago but was postponed due to weather. The Broncos are now 2-12 on the season while the Hornets improve to 8-6.
Making his first collegiate start, freshman Anthony Rea (0-1) shut out Sacramento State in the first four consecutive innings before allowing only two runs in the fifth inning. Rea fanned four Hornets with no walks. He only allowed five hits in five full innings pitched. Coming into the game Rea had the team-leading ERA of only .82 with 11 innings pitched. Senior Dave Mallen pitched two innings in relief giving up one run in the seventh and allowing two hits.
Santa Clara scored early off of a RBI double by junior Pat Peavey in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Mike Theoharis scored on the play after reaching base on a single. The Broncos added another run in the fourth inning when sophomore catcher Jimmy Wallace hit his first double of the year scoring Peavey.
The 2-0 lead was short lived as Sacramento State answered with two sacrifice flies in the fifth inning. John Freitas and Aurelio Jackson recorded both RBI's for the Hornets that inning. Sacramento State took the lead in the top of the seventh off of a wild pitch by Dave Mallen.
The Hornets lead would vanish in the Broncos half of the seventh when senior Matt Queen hit a two-out, bases-loaded, single to score two Broncos and reclaim the lead with two innings left.
Sacramento State answered in the eighth when the leadoff batter Cory Williams hit his first home run of the season off of freshman hurler Chad Fillinger. After Fillinger recorded the first out of the inning, he then gave up back-to-back singles followed by a three-run home run by Joe Evans, his fourth homer of the year. Senior A.J. Ampi finished the game for Santa Clara giving up no runs, only one hit, and striking out two Hornets in 1.2 innings pitched.
Sacramento State was led offensively by Joe Evans who went 2-for-4 with three RBI's and Chris Kinsey who batted 3-for-4.
Four Broncos recorded multi-hit games for the first time in a regulation game this season. Sophomore Jack Headley hit two doubles to bring his season total for doubles up to five. Matt Queen was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Pat Peavey was 2-for-5 with a RBI and a double, his third of the year. Sophomore Joe Diefenderfer recorded his eighth multi-hit game in 11 tries this year. He went 2-for-5 with his team-leading sixth double of the season.
The Broncos finish their season home-and-home series against Sacramento State on April 24 when Santa Clara will travel up to Sacramento. The Broncos are next in action at Pacific on Friday, March 2. Santa Clara will then face the Pacific Tigers at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday, March 3. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
