SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Brian Hsu and Casey Jacobsen each had solo homers, and Mitch McIntyre drove in two to help BYU even its series against Santa Clara baseball with a 7-5 win on Friday.
Starter Easton Walker (7-1) earned the win after lasting 5 1/3 innings and surrendering three earned runs and six hits. Reid McLaughlin came out of the bullpen in the ninth to get the final three outs for his fourth save of the season.
The Cougars (35-15, 18-8 West Coast Conference) snapped a 2-all tie in the third with a pair of runs and tacked on two more in the fourth.
Keaton Kringlen helped plate both runs in the third when his bases-loaded fielder's choice grounder drove in Jackson Cluff and then Ryan Sepede when Bronco second baseman Jason Dicochea's throw to first base eluded Jake MacNichols.
McIntyre had a two-run double in the fourth off Santa Clara reliever Alex Waldsmith who replaced starter Holden Bernhardt one inning earlier.
The Broncos (12-39, 5-21) smacked three home runs in the game. MacNichols belted a two-run homer, his 16th of the season, in the first inning and Connor Henriques and Dawson Brigman had back-to-back solo shots in the ninth off reliever Blake Inouye.
The blasts by Henriques and Brigman trimmed the lead to two runs and summoned McLaughlin who struck out two of the three batters he faced to squash the rally.
Hsu hit his third home run of the season and Jacobsen his fifth in the second inning.
Bernhardt (1-7) suffered the loss after pitching two-plus innings and yielding three hits and four runs (three earned).
Alex Reelfs tossed five innings of scoreless relief for the Broncos who won the series opener against the Cougars, 4-2, on Thursday.
BYU remains one-half game ahead of second-place Gonzaga in the WCC standings. The Bulldogs defeated LMU, 1-0, on Friday.
MacNichols home run moved him into a tie for third on the school's all-time single-season list. He is also tied for third on the career list with 30 homers.
Dicochea had two of the team's nine hits.
The Cougars only had seven hits, but the Broncos issued seven walks.
SENIOR DAY
Prior to the game, the Broncos honored their seniors who are making their final home appearance this weekend. Players Austin Reyes, Matthew McGarry, Ryan McCarthy, Travis Howard and Freddie Erlandson, along with student managers Jon Schafer and JC Montemayor were recognized with their families in attendance.
NEXT UP
The Broncos close out the regular season on Saturday with the series finale against BYU. First pitch has been changed from 1 p.m. to 10 a.m. due to potential inclement weather.
HIGHLIGHTS | �� Jake MacNichols ��
— Santa Clara Baseball (@SCU_Baseball) May 18, 2019
�� Connor Henriques ��
�� Dawson Brigman ��#StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/RBdbOhwhon
