PORTLAND, Ore. – Jason Dicochea had two hits, including a two-run homer, and four pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts to lead Santa Clara baseball to a 4-2 road victory over Portland on Sunday to take the West Coast Conference series.
Coleman Brigman and Eamonn Lance also had RBIs for the Broncos who won two of three from the Pilots (11-11, 4-2).
Locke Bernhardt (1-0) earned the win by pitching 3 2/3 innings of relief for Santa Clara (9-14, 2-4). He yielded three hits and two runs while striking out six. Holden Bernhardt, his brother, secured his first save with two scoreless innings of relief.
With a runner aboard in the bottom of the ninth, Holden Bernhardt struck out Ben Patacsil to end the game. Three of the seven batters he faced struck out.
With the game scoreless in the top of the third, Dicochea followed an RBI single by Coleman Brigman with a two-run homer over the left field wall off Portland starter Caleb Franzen.
The Pilots threatened in the third with three hits, but couldn't get a run across as Buckley induced a double play and Logan Bernhardt came in to get the final out.
The Broncos, who banged out 12 hits, had a chance to increase the 3-0 lead in the fourth, loading the bases with one out. But Peter Allegro replaced Franzen and was able to get the final two outs.
After Lance doubled home Mike Bowes in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 4-0, the Pilots got two back in the bottom half.
Two runners got aboard off Locke Bernhardt who was replaced by Travis Howard. But after striking out Chard Stevens, Howard yielded a double to Patacsil, scoring Ethan Smith and Jake Holcroft. One batter later with the tying runs aboard, Howard induced an inning-ending groundout from Briley Knight.
Franzen (0-2) suffered the loss for the Pilots. He tossed 3 1/3 innings, yielding seven hits and three runs.
Bowes, Matt Jew and Austin Reyes each had two hits for Santa Clara.
NOTES
• After a four-game skid, the Broncos have now won three of their last five games.
• Santa Clara hit five home runs in the series.
NEXT UP
The Broncos play BYU at home in a three-game series beginning Thursday.
