March 3, 2001
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to the University of Pacific this afternoon. The Broncos (2-14) lost the first game 11-2 and the second game 7-6 in ten innings. With the victories the Pacific Tigers improved their record to 11-8.
The Tigers started game one with their first five batters reaching base against sophomore pitcher Matt Travis (0-5). Pacific proceeded to score a run in every inning up through the fifth. It wasn't until the fifth inning that Santa Clara scored their first run when Jimmy Wallace hit a sacrifice fly to score John Hilvert. The Broncos added another run in the eighth, but it wasn't enough to stop the Tigers who scored in seven out of nine innings.
The Tigers were led offensively by Richard Hackett who went 3-for-3 with a solo homerun in the fourth inning. The Broncos were led by Pat Peavey who went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Senior relief pitcher Dave Mallen pitched five innings only allowing four runs and striking out four batters. Freshmen pitchers Chad Fillinger and Patrick McBride also made relief appearances.
Game two looked as if it would be a pitcher's dual between Santa Clara freshmen pitcher John Redmond and Pacific's Ryan Jurvakainen. Neither team scored in the first three and a half innings. Redmond had another impressive outing only allowing three runs in six and a third innings pitched. Freshman Anthony Rea and junior A.J. Ampi both made relief appearances and gave up two runs each.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Santa Clara's bats awoke as three straight singles gave the Broncos their first lead of the game. Matt Queen singled to left field scoring Joe Diefenderfer. Two batters later sophomore catcher Jimmy Wallace hit his first homerun of the season. It was a three-run shot over the left field fence to give the Broncos a 4-0 lead.
Pacific then scored five unanswered runs in the next four innings. The Tigers' big inning came in the seventh as they scored three runs. Marcus Steele hit an RBI double to left field and Michael Fitzgerald hit a two RBI single to left center.
The Broncos had five players who recorded multi-hit games. They were led by Jimmy Wallace who was 2-for-4 with three RBI's. Wallace had four RBI's on the day. Jack Headley, Mike Theoharis, Joe Diefenderfer, and Mike Balestreri all had two hits in the game. Pacific also had five players with two hits. They were led by Michael Fitzgerald who went 2-for-4 with two RBI's.
Santa Clara is next in action on Tuesday, March 6 as it takes on the San Jose State Spartans at San Jose State. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Broncos next home game is on March 7 as they face Chicago State at 7 p.m.
