SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball used a walkoff walk by Jake Brodt in the bottom of the ninth inning to win 8-7 and even its West Coast Conference series with BYU Friday night at Schott Stadium. The Broncos broke a stretch of six straight Cougar runs with the bases-loaded walk, which brought in Jose Vizcaino, Jr. for the game-winning run.
Santa Clara has won 10 of its last 13 contests overall and is 8-2 in its last 10 WCC games. The Broncos were eliminated from postseason contention after Thursday's series-opening defeat.
"To get a walkoff win like that says a lot about where the program is going, the character of our guys and just how much they've bought in," associate head coach Gabe Ribas said. "It would have been really easy to just cash it in today, and they didn't do that."
Vizcaino, Jr. singled with one out for the Broncos (26-27, 12-14 WCC) in the ninth and the Cougars (26-23, 14-11 WCC) called on Keaton Cenatiempo to relieve starter Kolton Mahoney, who threw 134 pitches. Stevie Berman singled as the first batter to face Cenatiempo, and TJ Braff loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk ahead of Brodt's trip to the plate.
"We all talked about how we want to compete for eachother and especially our seniors," Berman said. "Coach Ribas always talks about what swells your heart. We want to play for eachother and especially our seniors."
Mahoney (L, 4-7) took the loss in 8.1 innings, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits with a walk and nine strikeouts. Eric Lex started for the Broncos and allowed seven unearned runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts. After BYU put runners on the corners on two hits to start the game, Lex and the Bronco defense recorded outs on 12 straight plays and Lex retired 11 batters in a row through the end of the fourth.
"Eric had really good fastball command. He did an exceptional job of expanding the plate against them," Ribas said. "They're a very good offense; you have to swing to be a very good offense. We've capitalized on that the last two nights.
"I thought Eric did a tremendous job of throwing three pitches for strikes. It might be his first outing for us that all three were in the zone and around the zone."
Max Kuhns (W, 1-0) earned his first collegiate win in relief, allowing only a single in a scoreless top of the ninth. Nick Medeiros pitched 1.1 shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk with a strikeout.
"With the game on the line, we got big hits and played good defense at the end," Vizcaino, Jr. said. "It's definitely something to carry over for next season. Everyone has been contributing and it's been a team effort."
Berman led off the second with a double to the right center gap and Mahoney hit Braff with a pitch to put two runners aboard for the Broncos. Kyle Cortopassi drove Berman in with a one-out, RBI single to left field to open the scoring.
Grant Meylan laid down a bunt to lead off the Santa Clara third and the baseball hit off of Mahoney's glove after one hop for an error on the BYU starter. Three batters later, Berman hit a two-run homer — his fourth of the season — to make the lead 3-0.
Colton Shaver reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth, advanced to second on a throwing error in the same sequence, and reached third on an interference call later in the inning. The Cougars scored their first run of the game when Court Iorg hit an RBI sacrifice fly to right to score Shaver.
Santa Clara answered BYU's opening run with the biggest inning of the game by plating four runs in the home fifth for a 7-1 lead. TC Florentine was hit by a one-out pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and came in to score on Vizcaino, Jr.'s RBI triple to right center. Berman followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to left and with two outs, the Broncos scored twice more on Brodt's RBI single to right and Cortopassi's RBI double to left center.
BYU loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a two-out single in the sixth. Shaver hit a fly ball to right field, which Grant Meylan retreated on and dropped, resulting in a three-run error. In the seventh, BYU pulled within a run on RBI singles from Derrick Whitney and Bronson Larsen, and tied the game at 7-7 when Medeiros was called for a balk with the bases loaded.
Berman went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead all batters. Cortopassi went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and Vizcaino, Jr. went 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored. Brodt finished the day with a single, a walk, two RBIs and a run scored. Whitney, Brennon Lund and Tanner Chauncey each posted two hits for BYU.
The Broncos and Cougars wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. PDT first pitch Saturday, which is the final game of Santa Clara's 2015 regular season. RHP Steven Wilson (3-3, 3.77 ERA) will make the start for the Broncos against the Cougars and RHP Michael Rucker (4-1, 3.35 ERA). Santa Clara will honor its seniors Braff, Evan Brisentine and CJ Jacobe as part of Senior Day.
"We have the mindset that there's nothing to lose. We want to play hard and win. It's for mainly the team and mostly the seniors," Vizcaino, Jr. said. "We have three seniors on our team and this could potentially be the last few baseball games they ever play, so we figure why not leave it out there for them? They were our motivation today and it's exciting for them."
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 6:05 p.m. … time of the game was 2:46 … attendance was 373 … Bronco head coach Dan O'Brien was ejected from the game by home plate umpire Dan Payne after the interference call with one out in the top of the fifth.
