April 8, 2001
By Keith Candau
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University baseball team was swept in its three-game series by 19th-ranked Pepperdine Sunday as the Broncos were defeated by a score of 11-7. Both teams remain in first place in their respective divisions in the WCC. Pepperdine's record improves to 23-12 and 12-3 in conference play while Santa Clara drops to 13-22 and 9-6 in the league.
After both teams scored a run in their halves of the first inning, Bronco starter Matt Travis (1-7) ran into some problems in the second inning. The Waves scored four runs off four hits highlighted by a two-RBI double by Pepperdine's leading batter Jared Pitney. Travis recorded the loss for Santa Clara as he pitched one-and-two-thirds innings giving up five runs, only one of which was earned.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Santa Clara cut the Waves' lead down to one by scoring three runs off of four hits. Senior Mike Theoharis had a RBI single and sophomore Jimmy Wallace had a two-RBI single to make the score 6-5 in favor of Pepperdine. Waves' starting pitcher Jay Adams was pulled after completing four and two thirds innings pitched giving up five earned runs.
However, the Waves answered immediately in their half of the sixth as they scored three more runs, one of which came off a balk by relief pitcher Kellan McConnell. The Broncos would add two more runs in the seventh and the eighth innings but it was not enough. Waves' relief pitcher, Greg Ramirez (2-1), pitched the final four and a third innings and earned the victory for Pepperdine only allowing two runs to score. Santa Clara was led offensively by Jack Headley who went 3-for-5 with two RBI's and Wallace who went 2-for-3 with three RBI's. Pepperdine was led by Danny Garcia who went 3-for-4 with two RBI's.
The Broncos are next in action on Thursday, April 12 as they play the first game in a three-game conference series with the University of San Diego Toreros. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
