SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Jack Sterner and Bryce Robison combined to allow just one run on four hits in BYU's 3-1 win over Santa Clara baseball on Saturday to snap the Broncos four-game win streak.
The game was tied 1-all through the first six innings in a pitcher's duel but BYU (9-15, 5-4) got the go-ahead runs in the seventh against reliever Cole Kitchen to take the first lead in the series.
The Cougars put the first two runners on base in the seventh on a Bronco error and a walk issued by Kitchen. Brock Watkins moved the runners over on a sacrifice bunt and Peyton Cole followed with a squeeze bunt to put BYU up 2-1. With a runner at third, Cooper Vest hit an infield single to bring home the third run of the game for the Cougars.
In the first two games of the series, Santa Clara (11-15, 4-5) jumped out to early leads scoring five runs in the second inning in Thursday's opener and putting up four runs, also in the second inning, in Friday's game and never trailed in either games.
In Saturday's series finale, the Broncos got on the board first again when Coleman Brigman led off the inning with a double before coming home on Jake MacNichols' RBI grounder.
Freddie Erlandson retired the first nine BYU batters to start the game but ran into trouble in the fourth, allowing the first two Cougar hitters to reach base giving up a walk to Hunter Swapp and a single to Cooper Vest. Mitch McIntyre doubled home Swapp to tie game up at 1-all.
The Cougars had an opportunity to take the lead with runners in scoring position and no out but Erlandson retired the next three batters to escape the jam. Erlandson finished with eight strikeouts over four innings.
Meanwhile, BYU starter Jack Sterner gave up a hit in the first two innings and did not allow another one before being lifted in favor of Bryce Robison to start the sixth with the game tied at 1-all.
Robison pitched the final four innings and allowed a hit in the seventh and the ninth.
Mike Bowes had a two out single in the ninth to bring the potential tying run to the plate but Robison (3-1) got Tony Boetto to fly out to right to end the game and earn the win.
Eamonn Lance went 2-for-3 and Vest went 2-for-4 as the only players with multiple hits.
Kitchen dropped to 5-1 on the season.
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The Broncos continues its six-game homestand with a weekend series against crosstown rival San Francisco starting next Friday.
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