Santa Clara Baseball Drops Friday Night Opener at Gonzaga

Jake Brodt went 2-for-4 Friday night, including an RBI single in the eighth inning. Recap, photo courtesy of Santa Clara

SPOKANE, Wash. — Santa Clara baseball fell to co-West Coast Conference leading Gonzaga 7-4 Friday night to open a three-game series at Washington Trust Field. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and take the lead for good.

Friday's matchup featured a 42-minute lightning delay after Santa Clara went 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning.

The Broncos (16-19, 4-9 WCC) produced a steady stream of offense throughout the contest, putting
12 runners on base with less than two outs. Their late comeback attempt included a two-run eighth with an RBI single by Jake Brodt and an RBI groundout from John Cresto to make the score 6-4 Gonzaga. Santa Clara brought the potential game-tying run to the plate with two outs and two runners on in the ninth, and Tyler Meditz grounded out to second base end the contest.

Brandon Bailey (W, 6-2) pitched 7.0 innings and struck out 10 batters while allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits for the Bulldogs (23-12, 11-5). The righthander faced the minimum three times and allowed only one of the last nine Broncos he faced to reach base. Wyatt Mills (SV, 3) tossed the scoreless ninth with one strikeout.

Santa Clara starter Mitchell White pitched 5.0 innings and struck out nine batters while allowing two runs (three earned) on three hits with a season-high six walks. White and Bailey entered the contest as the top two strikeout pitchers in the WCC with 80 and 72 on the year, respectively.

White's only runs came on a two-run homer to left field by Taylor Jones in the third. Jones added an RBI single in the sixth against Travis Howard (L, 2-2) and Tyler Frost doubled with two outs when Florentine slipped on a fly ball to center field, allowing two more runs to score.

Four Broncos posted multiple hits on the day: Florentine, Brodt, Braden Frankfort and Austin Fisher. Florentine has hit safely 2+ times in nine of Santa Clara's last 10 outings, and tallied his team-best 12th multi-hit game of the season. Jones went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored and Frost added three RBIs for the Bulldogs.

Santa Clara and Gonzaga are back on the diamond Saturday night for a 6:05 p.m. PDT first pitch. Steven Wilson (3-2, 2.98) starts for the Broncos against Eli Morgan (6-1, 3.93 ERA).
GAME NOTES: First pitch was at 6:05 p.m. … time of the game was 3:08 … attendance was 875.