MANHATTAN, Kan. — Santa Clara baseball lost the second of a three-game set against the Kansas State Wildcats 17-5 Saturday at Tointon Family Stadium. The Broncos posted multiple runs in two of the game's first four innings while the Wildcats notched a season-best 17 runs on a season-best 14 hits in the victory.
Starting pitcher Steven Wilson (L, 1-1) threw 5.2 innings and allowed 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts. The Broncos (7-7) used six different pitchers on the afternoon, including Evan Brisentine and Josh Inouye, who both tossed a shutout inning with two strikeouts.
Kansas State starter Colton Kalmus allowed two earned runs on two hits with a walk and one strikeout in 2.0 innings. Jordan Floyd (W, 2-2) picked up the win by throwing 4.0 shutout innings out of the bullpen.
The Wildcats (6-7) scored three runs in the first to take an early lead. Santa Clara answered with two runs in the second on an RBI sac fly from T.J. Braff and an RBI double from Joe Becht to pull the Broncos within one run at 3-2. Kansas State followed with two runs in each of the second and third innings to take a 7-2 lead. Nine different Wildcats drove in runs Saturday, led by Tyler Moore with a game-high five RBIs.
In the fourth, Jacobe drove in his second run of the game on a double and Evan Haberle added an RBI groundout for Santa Clara to make the score 7-4 Kansas State. The Wildcats added two more multi-run innings, scoring three in the sixth and seven in the eighth to pull ahead 17-4.
Jacobe capped his perfect 3-for-3 day with a solo home run in the ninth; he led the Broncos with three RBIs. Grant Meylan reached base safely four times by going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and Braff scored two runs for Santa Clara.
Stevie Berman made his season debut for the Broncos as a defensive replacement at catcher in the eighth inning.
Santa Clara and Kansas State conclude the three-game set Sunday with a 12 p.m. CST (10 a.m. PST) first pitch from Manhattan.
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 2:05 p.m. CST ... time of game was 2:43 ... attendance was 2,387.
