Posted: Feb 24, 2018
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball won 7-6 over Wake Forest on a Joe Becht walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 14th inning to secure the series win for the Broncos on Saturday.
With the game tied, 6-6, and Lucas Eliason on first, Becht put a charge into the ball sending it deep over Wake Forest right fielder Nick DiPonzio's head. Eliason, who got on base on a walk, never broke stride and slid head first to beat the relay to cap the come from behind win for the Broncos.
Santa Clara (4-2) scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to extend the game to extra-innings. Down 6-4, Jake Brodt started the rally against Demon Deacon closer Morgan McSweeney with a double and scored on a John Cresto single to cut the Wake Forest lead to one run.
Still down, 6-5, Cresto advanced to third on a wild pitch and a Niko Holm grounder before scoring the tying run on another wild pitch by McSweeney.
In extra-innings, Penn Murfee, who picked up his first save against San Jose State earlier in the week, pitched five scoreless innings to pick up his first career win. The fifth-year senior transfer from Vanderbilt scattered four hits and walked one batter.
The Bronco bullpen was solid yet again, allowing just two runs in the last 11 innings.
Cresto hit his third home of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the first inning to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead. Wake Forest came back in the top half of the second scoring four runs, including a three run homerun by Patrick Frick to make it 4-2.
Santa Clara played catch up the rest of the way until tying it in the ninth and eventually winning it in the 14th.
For the game, Austin Reyes reached base six times on a hit, four walks and one hit by pitch. Cresto, Brodt and Jake MacNichols each had multi-hit games for the Broncos.
First pitch for Sunday's series closing game will be at Noon PT. Wake Forest will send right-hander Colin Peluse (1-0, 4.50 ERA) to the mound. Santa Clara's pitcher is TBA.
HIGHLIGHT | @joebones_7 walks it off with an RBI double in the 14th to clinch the series against Wake Forest! Could the #SCUBroncos make it on @TheWtv's #TopPlayTuesday for the second week in a row? FULL CLIP ▶️ https://t.co/voyyrwbydD #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/lw3FTcgpKJ
— Santa Clara Baseball (@SCU_Baseball) February 25, 2018
Tickets: Season or single-game tickets are available. Click here to purchase online or contact the ticket office in Leavey Center weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (408) 554-4660 or BroncoTickets@scu.edu. Group discounts are also available through our ticket office sales and service consultants. Gates to Stephen Schott Stadium, as well as its ticket booth, are open one hour prior to the start of the game.
Parking: Parking is now available in the Guadalupe lot, adjacent to 455 El Camino Real. The Guadalupe lot is reserved beginning 60 minutes before game time through the end of the event for free parking. Baseball parking is no longer allowed in the lot behind Schott Stadium's left field wall. Overflow parking is available in the Leavey Center lot. Spectators that plan to arrive more than an hour prior to game time on weekdays are encouraged to purchase a parking permit for the Leavey lot. All SCU lot parking is free on weekends. ADA parking is available in the lot directly in front of the main gates; there is no general public parking in this lot. Follow signs for parking instructions. Click here for a campus parking map.
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