LOS ANGELES – Santa Clara baseball dropped the first of a three-game series at LMU 4-2 on Friday night.

The Broncos (13-8, 4-3 WCC) led until the seventh but two runs in the bottom of the frame and an insurance run in the eighth for the Lions (12-11, 5-2 WCC) proved to be the difference.

Cole Kitchen was solid in the start. In 5 1/3 innings he allowed a run on seven hits with two strikeouts but ended up with a no-decision. Blake Hammond took the loss as the first man out of the bullpen. Hammond (2-1) gave up two runs, one earned, one two hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

Malcolm Williams and Ben Steck both had two hit games with Steck smoking his first career home run in the third to put Santa Clara on top early. The other run was driven in by Robert Hipwell later that same inning.

Diego Barrera got the win for LMU. He tossed 7 innings, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Merrick Baldo got his fourth save by pitching the last 2 innings with a hit a three punchouts.

Jared Thomas had a three-hit game and Diego Baqueiro added two but neither knocked in a run. It was Khadim Diaw, Sam Biller, and Cole Roberts that had RBIs.

NEXT UP
The teams play again tomorrow at 6 p.m.

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