March 27, 2010

Final Stats | Interview: Sunday Starter Chris Mendoza

By Brandon Rebboah '13

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Senior Alex Rivers battled his way through the Princeton lineup in the first game of Saturday's double-header and was given plenty of run support by the Bronco offense as Santa Clara claimed Game One, 12-3.

Santa Clara (10-10) continued their offensive assault from last night's 19-4 win, with Lucas Herbst hitting a towering two-run homer in the fourth. After five innings the Broncos held a 6-2 lead.

Rivers pitched into the eighth, allowed six hits and was charged with just one run.

In the sixth inning, Rivers found himself in a jam. He walked two batters and gave up a run on an RBI single. With runners on the corners, he was able to compose himself and pitch out of a tough situation. Rivers picked off the runner at first, struck out the next batter and ended the inning by inducing a routine fly ball to left field.

"When you get in those situations you just have to compete and get after it, and I think that's what he did," said Santa Clara head coach Mark O'Brien about Rivers' sixth inning performance.

Princeton (4-12) starter David Palms was chased in the seventh, when SCU added four insurance runs to stretch a four-run lead to 10-3. Palms (1-2) pitched six innings, gave up nine runs on 11 hits.

SCU totaled 15 hits. Blake Leyva had three RBI, Tommy Medica and Lucas Herbst each added two. Six different Bronco batters doubled.

"I thought we played the game better than we did last night," said O'Brien. "We did a better job of situational hitting today."

The Broncos will play this evening in the second game of the double-header. Jon Hughes is scheduled to pitch for Santa Clara. Chris Mendoza is scheduled to pitch in tomorrow's game.

GAME NOTES: All-American Tommy Medica increased his hit streak to 13 games... Medica went 2-for-4 wih 2 RBI... Blake Leyva has started each of the last 7 games at third-base; Leyva had three RBI in Game One... Princeton pitcher David Palms had one of the nation's best ERA's (3.10) last season... Curtis Wagner upped his season RBI total to 22... Lucas Herbst's homerun in the fourth inning was his second of the season... Ian O'Connor had his first career double in the bottom of the eighth.... Cory Hall pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts for the Broncos in the eighth and ninth.