Posted: Feb 24, 2019
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Washington State collected 16 hits overall and scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning to beat Santa Clara baseball, 10-6, to split the four game series at Stephen Schott Stadium on Sunday.
Santa Clara (2-5) freshman Blake Faddoul's first career home run in the bottom of the seventh momentarily gave the Broncos a 5-4 lead but the Cougars came right back with the big eighth inning.
The Cougars (2-6) opened the eighth putting the first six hitters on base off Broncos reliever Alex Tizminezky. The junior right-hander walked the leadoff hitter Dillon Plew and gave up four straight singles to allow three runs before being replaced by freshman Luke Tillmann. When it was all said and done in the inning, Washington State sent 12 batters to the plate and pushed across six runs to take a 10-5 lead.
The Broncos belted three home runs in the game but they were all solo shots, including back-to-back shots by Jason Dicochea (2-for-4, R, RBI) and Jake MacNichols (2-for-5, R, RBI) in the third off of Cougars starter Hayden Rosenkrantz to give Santa Clara a 4-2 lead.
Kyle Manzardo (4-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBIs), who had a game-high four hits, drove in a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to cut the Broncos lead to 4-3. Washington State tied it up in the seventh on Kodie Kolden's (3-for-5, 3 RBIs) RBI single to score Collin Montez (2-for-5, 2 R) who had doubled earlier in the inning.
Each teams used seven pitchers. Davis Ballie (1-1) came into game in the bottom of the seventh picked up the win, while Tizminezky (0-2) took the loss. Tyson Guerrero, who was a defensive replacement at centerfield closed out the game to earn the save.
NEXT UP
The Broncos hit the road for the first time this season to face CSU Bakersfield on Friday for a four game series. Friday's first pitch is at 6 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 and 6 p.m. before closing out the series on Sunday at Noon.
HIGHLIGHTS | Jason Dicochea and Jake MacNichols went back-to-back to start the third inning and Blake Faddoul hit his first home run as a Bronco to lead off the seventh today against Washington State! #StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/Y0Unw97U1u
— Santa Clara Baseball (@SCU_Baseball) February 25, 2019
