Feb. 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Santa Clara baseball team suffered another tough defeat Saturday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego, falling 2-1 in a pitcher's duel to the San Diego State Aztecs. Despite out-hitting the Aztecs 10-4 in the contest, the Broncos left nine runners on base as the Aztecs clinched the weekend series.
Santa Clara (5-4) will try to avert a sweep Sunday afternoon as they battle the Aztecs in a 1 p.m. contest.
Nate Garcia had his best outing of the season for the Broncos, allowing only one run on three hits and striking out eight in seven innings. Gabe Alcantar went 3-for-4 from the plate while freshman Jon Karcich drove in the only SCU run.
San Diego State took the early 1-0 lead as Troy Hanzawa's two-out single to right scored Chris Anderson with the game's first run.
The Broncos answered in the fifth, taking advantage of an Aztec miscue in the field to tie up the contest. Patrick Glenn reached on a fielding error by Aztecs' first baseman Mike Willeford, then advanced to second on a throwing error by Willeford to open the inning. David Hoffmire's sacrifice bunt moved Glenn to third, and two batters laterm Karcich's single to left drove Glenn in with the equalizer.
SCU missed a pair of chances in the seventh and eighth, as the team had a runner thrown out trying to steal second in each inning.
The Aztecs took the lead for good in the eighth, as Anderson led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second, and consequently driven in by Josh Chasse's double to left-center off of Alex Rivers, who took the loss for the Broncos.
Aaron Brady got the win in relief for SDSU, shutting out the Broncos on four hits in the final three and two-thirds innings after starter Bruce Billings allowed an unearned run in five-plus innings of work.
