May 10, 2005
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - For the second night in a row, Santa Clara University second baseman Eric Newton served the role of hero as his RBI single in the bottom of the 12th inning led the Broncos to a 6-5 victory over Stanford Tuesday night at Schott Stadium.
The win improved Santa Clara's overall record to 25-24 on the season and gave the Broncos a 2-1 series victory over the Cardinal this season, marking the first for SCU since 1980. The loss dropped Stanford to 27-18.
Santa Clara returns to action Friday afternoon in the first of a three-game series at West Coast Conference rival Pepperdine. In addition, the two teams will complete a March 20 game that was halted at Buck Shaw Stadium due to inclement weather. The two teams will pick up the game in the top of the seventh inning with the Waves holding a 5-2 lead beginning at noon on Saturday.
Senior Anthony Rea (5-6) earned the win for Santa Clara after pitching the final two full innings of the game. The Palo Alto, Calif. native, who went to high school across the street from the Stanford campus, faced seven batters allowed just one to reach base on a walk.
Jeff Stimpson took the loss for the Cardinal to fall to 0-2 on the year after pitching the final one-and-a-third innings.
Stanford got on the board early, scoring three runs in the top of the second inning. Michael Taylor ledoff the inning with a double down the left field line. After stealing third base, he scored as Chris Minaker reached on a hard-hit ball to Newton. With no outs, pinch hitter Ryan Seawell flied out to center field, scoring Chris Lewis from second base. Minaker scored when Jeff Boes singled to center field.
The Broncos answered with a single run in the bottom of the third inning. After Ryan Chiarelli walked then stole second to open the inning, he advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Kevin Drever. Chiarelli scored on a ground out by Shawn Epidendio to third base.
In the bottom of the fourth, Santa Clara tied the score with two runs on catcher Kris Watts' fifth home run of the season. Designated hitter Dustin Realini reached on a single to left field and registered his second stolen base of the season before Watts' blast over the right centerfield fence.
The two teams went scoreless through the next five innings before the Cardinal put two runs on the board in the top of the 10th inning. John Mayberry, Jr. singled through the left side then Taylor homered to left field to give Stanford a 5-3 lead.
Santa Clara tied the score with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, keyed by Jason Matteucci's leadoff single to second base. With one out, Realini singled to right field, sending Matteucci to second. With David Hoffmire pinch running for Realini, a balk by Cardinal pitcher Matt Manship put runners on second and third.
Manship then walked Watts to load the bases and, after striking out Newton, walked Nathan Faulkner to bring SCU to within one run at 5-4. Chiarelli, who received a community service award from Comcast prior to the game, then hit a ground ball to Minaker at shortstop. The throw was not in time to get Faulkner at second and allowed Hoffmire to score. However Watts was caught in a rundown at third base to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
In the bottom of the 12th inning, Hoffmire hit a single to right field with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Watts walked for the third time in the game, Newton singled to right field for the game winner.
