May 5, 2007
MORAGA, Calif. - Errors in the field weighed heavily on the outcome of Saturday's game between Santa Clara and Saint Mary's, as two Bronco miscues spoiled an otherwise great performance from starter Matt Wickswat, leading to a pair of unearned Gael runs that preceded a 3-2 Bronco loss in 10 innings.
The teams will face off in tomorrow's series finale at 1 p.m. in Moraga.
Wickswat struck out 10 batters for the fourth time this season, once again tying his career high. He lasted eight and a third innings, scattering six hits and not allowing an earned run while walking only one batter.
But the Broncos managed only six hits off of Gael starter Alex Jensen, who pitched nine innings, allowing only two runs on six hits to keep Saint Mary's in the game. Gabe Alcantar and Tommy Medica each doubled in the contest.
After Santa Clara broke a 1-1 tie in the top of ninth with Ryan Conan's sacrifice fly bringing in Matt Long, Wickswat came out for the bottom half to try for his second complete game of the year. But after Randy Wells led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second, Wickswat gave way to closer Jeff Lombard, going for his 11th save, which would put him alone in second place on the SCU single-season saves list.
Unfortunately for Wickswat and Lombard, they could only watch as pinch-hitter Ryan Mulligan's ground ball to short was misplayed, allowing Wells to score form second and tie the game at 2-2. Lombard then retired the next two batters to send the game into extra innings.
There, the Broncos went scoreless, while the Gaels were boosted by a leadoff double to left field from pinch-hitter Michael Gonzales, at which point Alex Rivers relieved Lombard. The Broncos caught a break when Eric Cattoni's sacrifice attempt went right to Rivers, who threw pinch-runner Cory Miller out at second for the first out. But a balk soon put Cattoni on second, and, after SCU got the second out, SMC's Michael Cippola delivered a base hit up the middle that plated Cattoni with the winning run and gave Lombard his fourth loss of the year.
Saint Mary's had led first in Saturday's contest, with Wells, who went 2-for-4 on the day, driving in Gilbert Urbina with a single after the inning had been extended by a two-out SCU error. But Santa Clara equalized with an unearned run of their own, scoring on a throwing error by Jensen in the fifth.
