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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball fell 5-0 against Loyola Marymount Sunday afternoon to close out a three-game series at Schott Stadium. The Broncos scattered six hits over six different innings and were bested by 8.0 shutout frames from LMU starter J.D. Busfield.
Santa Clara won the series opener on Friday night and fell on Saturday and Sunday in their second-to-last home series of the season. Saturday's attendance was 951, the largest crowd for a home game since opening day in 2012.
Busfield (W, 4-4) allowed five hits, walked one and struck five batters for the Lions (24-21, 12-9 WCC). The Broncos (19-22, 6-12 WCC) had five batters reach safely and seven get aboard overall against the LMU starter. Mitchell White (L, 2-6) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings for the Broncos.
Santa Clara put two baserunners on with one out in the seventh before consecutive outs cut into the rally. They loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, and Kyle Cortopassi was retired on a diving catch by Billy Wilson in left-center field to end the game.
After three scoreless frames to start the contest, the Lions broke through with a two-out, RBI double by Jamey Smart in the fourth to drive in Niko Decolati from first base. With no outs and runners on first and second in the fifth, Phil Caulfield laid down a bunt and White threw wide of third base for an error that put the visitors on top 2-0. Spencer Erdman followed with an RBI groundout and Austin Miller added an RBI sacrifice fly to make it three runs in three batters.
Cassidy Brown scored the fifth and final run of the game on an RBI single as the first batter to face Nick Medeiros in the seventh. Medeiros inherited runners on the corners with one out, and allowed only one Lion to score. Max Kuhns retired six of seven batters he faced with a strikeout in the last two innings.
TC Florentine went 2-for-4 to lead the Broncos while Evan Haberle pinch hit in the eighth and drew walks in both of his trips to the plate. LMU's Caulfield, Brown and Seaver Whalen each connected for two hits.
The Broncos head to Cal Poly for a 6 p.m. matchup on Tuesday ahead of a weekend series at Pacific.
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 1:02 p.m. … time of the game was 2:51 … attendance was 951 … attendance was the highest for a home game since Feb. 24, 2012 (138 games) … the Broncos defeated Illinois-Chicago 9-3 in front of 1,273 … the win over UIC was in the home opener of Dan O'Brien's first season as head coach.
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