SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Steven Moretto hit the game-tying home run in the eighth inning and Matt Smith doubled home the go-ahead run in the ninth to lift Sacramento State to a 2-1 victory over Santa Clara baseball on Friday.

Jake MacNichols, who set the Santa Clara career home run mark in Thursday's 5-0 win over Sacramento State, blasted his third homer of the season in the first inning.

The Broncos had not allowed a run in the previous 25 innings and had retired 18 Hornets in a row until Moretto connected on an 0-1 offering from reliever Travis Howard, sending it over the left field wall to knot the game at 1-all.

Sacramento State's Martin Vincelli-Simard hit a one-out double in the ninth inning. Pinch hitter Matt Smith followed with an RBI double that knocked in Isaiah Parker who came in to run for Vincelli-Simard.

Santa Clara went down in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but did get the potential tying run to second in the ninth.

Ryan McCarthy reached first base on a wild pitch while striking out. Pinch runner JonJon Berring stole second with two outs, but reliever Stone Churby induced a fly ball from Matt Jew to end the game.

Jack Zalasky (2-0) earned the win by tossing a scoreless eighth. Churby secured his fourth save of the season.

Howard (0-2) took the loss, pitching the final two innings and yielding three hits.

Freddie Erlandson started for the Broncos and pitched for four scoreless innings before yielding to Locke Bernhardt for the next three. Bernhardt struck out four of the nine batters he faced. 

Vincelli-Simard had two of the five hits for the Hornets.

The Broncos had seven hits in the game. MacNichols homer was the only extra base hit for the team.

Scott Randall started for the Hornets and surrendered seven hits and one run in seven innings.

NOTES
• The Broncos have not allowed a run 29 of their last 32 innings of play including a scoreless stretch of 25 in a row.