FORT WORTH, Texas — Santa Clara dropped the second of a three game series to start Sunday's action at Lupton Stadium — a game resumed from Saturday night as the result of a lightning delay — and fell in the series finale 9-2 against No. 6 TCU. The Horned Frogs won all three of the weekend matchups in Fort Worth.
The Broncos (16-22) began with T.J. Braff at the plate, two outs and a 1-1 count in the top of the ninth with a 6-1 TCU lead in the resumed Game 2. The Horned Frogs (30-8) put Drew Gooch in to pitch and Braff grounded out to end the ballgame. TCU starter Mitchell Traver (W, 6-1) earned the win in 5.0 shutout innings, allowing one hit with three walks and six strikeouts. Santa Clara starter Eric Lex (L, 2-4) gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits with two walks and a strikeout in 4.0 innings.
In the series finale, TCU broke a scoreless tie in the home half of the fourth inning by scoring five runs, including four with one out. After Nolan Brown opened the scoring on an error by Bronco center fielder TC Florentine, Dane Steinhagen hit a two-run single and Keaton Jones added an RBI single to make lead 4-0. Leadoff hitter Cody Jones recorded the fifth run of the game on an RBI sacrifice fly in the same inning as the first batter to face Bronco relief pitcher Josh Inouye.
Santa Clara starter Evan Brisentine (L, 2-3) allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with four walks and a strikeout in 3.1 innings. TCU starter Alex Young pitched 6.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.
TCU added three more runs — all with one out in the sixth inning — on a two-run homer by Cody Jones and an RBI single by Connor Wanhanen. Ryan Budnick hit his second home run as a Bronco — a two-run shot to left center field — with one out in the seventh to make the score 8-2. The Horned Frogs extended the advantage to 9-2 on Steinhagen's RBI groundout in the TCU seventh.
Braff led the Broncos with two hits and a run scored in the series finale. Cody Jones and Steinhagen each drove in three runs for the Horned Frogs, Jeremie Fagnan doubled twice and scored twice and Elliott Barzilli went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
The Broncos face Cal Poly at Schott Stadium Tuesday for a 6 p.m. first pitch. Santa Clara hosts Gonzaga for a West Coast Conference weekend series April 24-26.
GAME NOTES: Time of Game 2 was 2:50 … first pitch of Game 3 was at 1:01 p.m. CDT … time of Game 3 was 2:38 … Sunday's attendance was 3,637.
