Posted: May 07, 2021
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Pacific got contributions throughout the lineup with seven players driving in a run in the 11-7 win over Santa Clara baseball to take the opening game of the West Coast Conference series on Friday.
After Santa Clara took a 3-1 lead in the second inning on Jake MacNichols' WCC leading 10th home run of the season, Pacific (13-27, 3-13) scored seven unanswered runs with three in the fifth and four in the sixth.
In the fifth inning, Thomas Gavello homered to tie the game at 3-all and Ben Nemivant doubled in a run against Broncos starter Russell Grant II as the Tigers never looked back.
Charles Middleton, who went 2-for-4, hit a three-run home run in the in sixth to push the lead out to 8-3. Middleton finished with a game-high three RBIs and three runs scored.
Santa Clara (13-26, 6-16) responded with two runs apiece in the sixth and seventh frames to get within a run. A pair of RBI singles by Tony Boetto and Ryan McCarthy cut the lead to 8-5 in the sixth.
Tigers starter Hayden Pearce (3-6) went six innings, giving up nine hits and five runs, three of those earned to pick up the win.
The Broncos continued to chip away in the seventh on Mike Bowes' RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Boetto to get within a run at 8-7 against reliever Jackson Vaughan.
However, Pacific added three insurance runs in the eighth against Jared Feikes, all coming after two outs to push the lead out to 11-7. Luke Price had the big hit of the inning with a two RBI double.
Both teams had 12 hits. Three Tigers – Middleton, Gavello and Alex LeForestier – each had two hits.
Bowes went 3-for-5 to lead Santa Clara while Austin Reyes, Boetto and Ryan McCarthy had two hits apiece.
Grant (0-6) gave up four runs over 4 2/3 to take the loss.
NEXT UP
The Broncos face the Tigers in the second game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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