SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball earned a split with Northwestern in a doubleheader Saturday. The Wildcats (1-6) took game 1 10-0 but the Broncos bounced back with a 10-3 win in game 2.

Game 1
Northwestern jumped all over Santa Clara starter Skylar Hales, scoring four runs in each of the first two innings. Hales was let down by his defense a bit as two errors led to just three of the runs being earned.

Hales (0-1) ended up taking the loss in 4 innings, allowing eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Ethan O'Donnell led the Wildcats offense with four hits and Vincent Bianchina had three RBIs with two runs scored. Each of the first four batters in the Northwestern lineup scored twice.

Sean Sullivan (1-0) was brilliant in the start for the Wildcats. He kept the Broncos off balance all day and allowed five hits with nine strikeouts over 6 innings. Coby Moe (1) picked up the save by tossing the final 3 innings.

Santa Clara had a hit in each of the first five innings but didn't get two on in an inning until the fifth when Dawson Brigman led off with his third straight single and Coleman Brigman was hit by a pitch two batters later. With two down, Eamon Lance looked like he had an RBI down the right field line but Anthony Calarco made a diving catch right above the ground to keep the Broncos off the board.

D. Brigman finished with three hits and C. Brigman added two. Both John Hanley and Connor Henriques added a hit apiece.

Game 2
Santa Clara's bats woke up in the second game of the day, led by a pair of home runs from Lance who finished with three hits and three runs scored to lead an offense that reached double-digit runs for the second time in three games.

Just like last night, the Broncos found themselves down before they came to bat when Ruben Fontes led off the game with a home run. Santa Clara responded with three in the bottom of the frame and never looked back, adding on throughout the game with runs in six different innings, including five from the sixth through eighth.

C. Brigman and D. Brigman both added three hits apiece as well to keep the offense rolling. D. Brigman had two doubles and two RBIs while C. Brigman scored two runs with an RBI and a walk.

Jared Feikes (2-0) got the start and lasted 5 2/3 innings while getting his second win of the season in as many starts. He allowed three runs, just one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Nick Sando (1) went the last 3 innings with a hit and five punchouts to get the save.

The Wildcats got within 5-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the sixth but the pitching staff didn't give them a chance to come back any further.

O'Donnell and Bianchina both added two hits with an RBI and Fontes finished with two runs scored.

JC Santini (0-1) took the loss while starting and throwing 4 innings. He allowed five runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

NEXT UP
The series concludes tomorrow with an 11 a.m. first pitch.

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