March 7, 2005
SAN JOSE, Calif. - After tying the game in the top of the seventh inning, the Santa Clara baseball team allowed three runs in the bottom of the frame as it dropped a 6-4 contest at San Jose State. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Broncos who fall to 11-7 after the three-game series. The Spartans are 5-7-1 on the season.
The Spartans scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to build an early lead. Santa Clara would return to cut the San Jose State lead in half in the top of the second. With two outs, Michael Thompson was issued a walk to keep the inning alive. Nathan Faulker, who drove in the game-winning run on Sunday, would also bring Thompson home with an RBI-single just a batter later.
The Broncos evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the third frame. A single from David Hoffmire and walks to Robert Perry and Shawn Epidendio loaded the bases with one-out for Dustin Realini. Realini brought the tying run in with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The SCU lead would not last for long as the Spartans took a one-run lead in the bottom of the frame. An RBI-single by Sam Hall drove in Nate Corrick from second base to give SJSU another advantage.
An unearned run in the top of the seventh would once again even the score of the contest. After Hoffmire's one-out single, Perry reached base on an error by second baseman David Pierson, advancing Hoffmire to second. After a fly-out, Realini would get on base after another Spartan error, which allowed Hoffmire to cross home plate for the second time of the day.
The tie would once again be short lived as San Jose State scored three runs in the bottom of the inning. Nick Epidendio drove in two of the runs, which were both unearned after a Bronco error, with a single.
Santa Clara added another score in the top of the ninth, but the rally would fall short of a win. Shawn Epidendio knocked in Perry with a two-out double, but a ground-out ended the game a batter later.
Hoffmire's two hits and two runs led the Broncos. Epidendio, Faulkner and Realini recorded RBI's in the contest.
SCU's pitching staff held San Jose State to only four hits on the day, but freshman Mike Stutes suffered the loss. He allowed five runs, four earned, and struck out six batters in 6.1 innings of action.
The Broncos return to Buck Shaw Stadium on Friday to begin a six-game homestand. Santa Clara will host Brown University this weekend when a three-game set starts at 6 p.m. on Friday night. The series with the Bears will mark the end of the non-conference schedule as the Broncos will host Pepperdine to begin West Coast Conference play on March 19.
