March 16, 2001
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University baseball team won its fifth straight game and fourth-straight in West Coast Conference play by defeating Loyola Marymount by a score of 6-5 at Buck Shaw Stadium. John Hilvert singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to help the Broncos improve their record to 7-15 overall and 4-0 in the WCC. LMU falls to 12-13 and 1-3 in the conference.
The win was Santa Clara's fifth-straight, marking the longest win streak for a Bronco team since a five-game streak from March 28-April 4, 1998.
The Lions scored four of their five runs in the first inning off of starting pitcher Joe Diefenderfer. That inning was highlighted by a three-run homerun by C.J. Wilson. Diefenderfer did not allow another run to score for the next six innings as he only gave up four hits and four runs striking out six batters in seven innings pitched. Freshman Chad Fillinger (2-1) pitched the last two innings of the game allowing one run and three hits. Fillinger recorded the win for the Broncos. James Clelland, Brian Felten, and Joshua Muecke all made relief appearances for the Lions, Muecke took the loss for the Lions.
"I'm proud of the way our team kept battling and never quit," said Head Coach Mike Cummins. "We've played a fairly tough schedule this season and our guys know they always have a chance to win. Tonight was a good example of a team that kept plugging away and found a way to win."
The Broncos first run came in the fourth inning when Matt Miller hit a two-RBI single to score Matt Queen and Pat Peavey who both reached base on singles. Santa Clara added another run in the fifth inning to close the gap to 4-3. The Broncos tied the game in the seventh when Queen singled in Diefenderfer. LMU tied regained the lead in the eighth when David Maffei scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Tommy Perez.
Santa Clara answered in its half of the eighth inning when Alex Anderson recorded a pinch hit RBI single to score Miller. After, Fillinger finished off the Lions in the top of the ninth, Santa Clara, behind Hilvert's game-winning single, defeated the Lions 6-5. The victory marks the third straight victory over LMU dating back to last season.
Two Bronco batters recorded three hits in the game. Miller went 3-for-4 with two RBI's and Hilvert went 3-for-4 with a RBI. For the Lions, Maffei went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Wilson went 1-for-3 with three RBI's.
The Broncos play game two against LMU on Saturday, March 17. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. The series finale is on Sunday also at 1 p.m.
