March 30, 2008
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Santa Clara University (14-9, 2-1 WCC) rallied to score four unanswered runs over the final two innings to claim a 6-4 come-from-behind win over the 14th-ranked University of San Diego baseball team to win the rubber game and claim the opening WCC series Sunday afternoon at Cunningham Stadium.
Santa Clara jumped out to the early lead in the first inning as Matt Long took the first offering from USD's Josh Romanski and sent it over the right field fence to give SCU an early 1-0 lead.
The Broncos then added to their lead in the third inning as they scored one run on one hit. The Broncos run came on a Ryan Conan sacrifice fly to left field, which scored Evan LeBlanc to give Santa Clara a 2-0 lead.
San Diego (19-10, 1-2 WCC) then tied the game up in the fourth inning as they scored two runs on two hits. James Meador led off the inning with a single to centerfield and moved to second when Logan Gelbrich walked. Kevin Hansen loaded the bases with a single to left field and Jose Valerio drove in Meador with a sacrifice fly to left field. Nick McCoy then drove in Gelbrich with a groundout to the shortstop to knot the score at 2-2.
USD would go on to take a two run lead in the bottom of the sixth inning as they scored two runs on three hits. Hansen got things rolling with a single to left field, then stole second. Valerio moved Hansen to third on a single to right field and Valerio would advance to second when Hansen was thrown out trying to steal home. McCoy was then hit by a pitch and Zach Walters was walked to load the bases. Kevin Muno hit a big two-run single to centerfield to give the Toreros a 4-2 lead.
Santa Clara then waited until the eighth inning to launch their come back. The Broncos pushed across two runs in the eighth inning on a Geoff Klein ground out and a Brady Fuerst RBI single to tie things up at 4-4.
SCU then scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning on a Gabe Alcantar two-run double to put the game at its final of 6-4.
Offensively for the Toreros, Hansen led the way as he went 3-for-4 and Valerio also looked impressive as he went 2-for-2 with one RBI and the final Torero to record multiple hits was Romanski as he went 2-for-4.
Mark Willinski (1-2) picked up the win on the mound for the Broncos as he allowed no runs on no hits in 1.0 innings of work. AJ Griffin (1-1) was saddled with the loss for the Toreros as he allowed three runs, two earned on three hits in 1.2 innings of work.
The Toreros will return to action on Wednesday as they host the USC Trojans in a 3 p.m. game at Cunningham Stadium.
