April 27, 2001
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Senior shortstop Mike Theoharis recorded a game-high six RBI and the Broncos exploded for 19 hits to lead the Santa Clara University baseball team to a 11-6 road win over Loyola Marymount Friday at George Page Field.
Joe Diefenderfer (5-4) earned the win for the Broncos after pitching six-and-two-thirds innings. He allowed eight hits and six runs, with three coming in the bottom of the seventh for the Lions. Jim DeMartini entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and closed out the game. Junior C.J. Wilson (2-8) took the loss for the Lions, who used four pitchers in the game.
Both teams scored a run in their half of the first inning. Bronco sophomore Jack Headley got his first RBI of the game on a single to left field that scored Matt Miller. The Lions tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning, when leading hitter Kris Zacuto doubled to left field, scoring leadoff batter Billy Lockin.
Santa Clara broke the game open in the second stanza with a five-run explosion highlighted by a three-run homer by senior Mike Theoharis. Bronco senior Mike Balestreri opened the inning with a leadoff double off the left centerfield wall. He advanced to third on a a Miller single to right field. Diefenderfer drove in Balestreri with a hard-hit single to the shortstop. Headley earned his second RBI of the game with another single to the shortstop, scoring Miller. Following the homer by Theoharis and back-to-back singles by John Hilvert and Kellen McConnell, the Lions made a pitching change, bringing in leading hurler Chris Gray. He forced catcher Jimmy Wallace to hit a grounder to the shortstop to end the inning.
The Lions added two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. LMU senior David Maffei recorded his sixth homer of the season with a solo shot to begin the LMU half of the inning. Wilson scored from third base on a groundout to Theoharis by Mark Carroll to bring the Lions within three with the score 6-3 in favor of Santa Clara.
Senior John Hilvert recorded his home run of the season with a two-run shot over the left field wall in the four-run top of the fourth inning. Diefenderfer and Jack Headley opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Theoharis recorded his fourth and fifth RBI, respectively, with a single that bounced over the shortstop's head. Theoharis crossed the plate on Hilvert's home run, giving the Broncos a 10-3 lead.
LMU mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring three runs on four hits. Zacuto's second double of the game scored Lockin. Tommy Perez knocked-in Hirsch on a sacrifice fly to right field before Joshua Whitesell brough Zacuto home on a single to centerield. DeMartini entered the game with two outs and one runner on base and forced Jonathan Higashi to fly out to centerfield to end the inning.
The two teams continue its three-game WCC series Friday at 1 p.m. Freshman John Redmond is scheduled to start for the Broncos, while the Lions are expected to pitch freshman Joshua Mueke. The two teams will also play a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. with freshman Kellen McConnell earning the start for Santa Clara.
