SANTA CLARA, Calif. - San Francisco collected 16 hits and cruised to a 13-5 series-opening win over Santa Clara Friday night at the Broncos' state-of-the-art on-campus facility Stephen Schott Stadium.
San Francisco (23-23; 6-6 WCC) snaps a six-game losing streak. The Dons were coming off series sweeps at the hands of No. 2 Arizona State and No. 24 San Diego. The Dons hit two homeruns and three doubles in support of All-WCC First Team pitcher Doug Murray.
USF jumped on Santa Clara senior starter Nate Garcia (3-8) for 13 hits and 10 runs. Matt Chavez and Robert Abel hit doubles off Garcia during a three-run second inning for USF.
Before the Dons got to Garcia, Geoff Klein hit a first-inning double off the fence in left-centerfield off Murray to help the Broncos score twice and take an early 2-1 lead. Klein finished the day 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored.
Santa Clara (20-25; 5-11 WCC) went quietly in the second and third innings but Klein's second double, this one down the line in right field, put a pair of Broncos in scoring position before Murray was able to work out of the jam and keep the Dons comfortably in front 6-2.
The Dons answered with a pair of homeruns to extend the lead to eight, 10-2, essentially putting the game out of reach in the fifth. With two-on and one-out Abel drove a 2-1 pitch from Garcia towards the batting cages beyond the fence in left. Two batters later Jason Mahood lifted a solo shot down the line, just inside the leftfield foul pole.
Murray (7-5) worked seven innings of six-hit baseball, fanning seven and allowing three runs. Mahood went 3-for-5 and Abel was 3-for-3 with four RBI. The series resumes with games Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
GAME NOTES: 1B Curtis Wagner (.405 BA) missed his first game of the year... OF Matt Ozanne (.371 BA) hit his first career homerun - a two-run drive to leftfield in the ninth... Santa Clara men's basketball head coach Kerry Keating threw out the ceremonial first pitch... the Broncos have historically dominated the series between the two local teams, owning a 156-65-1 all-time edge.
