SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Facing an 8-1 deficit late in the game, Villanova surged back with two runs scored in the seventh inning to cut down the Broncos lead but could not captalize on the momentum, falling to Santa Clara 8-3 on Saturday night.
Senior catcher,
John Whooley, went 2-4 on the day scoring one run and clipping a double. Behind the plate he had 10 putouts and threw out two would-be base stealers attempting to take second in two different innings.
Jack O'Reilly hit a double,
Luke Mutz singled and had an RBI, and
Steve Grober also battered a runner in.
Senior transfer,
Luke Dziados relieved starting pitcher
Chic DeGaetano in the middle of the bottom of the fifth and tossed for a total of 2.2 innings. Dziados had three punch outs and only allowed one hit and no runs in his time on the mound.
The Villanova scoreless first inning streak has been broken after 11 consecutive games of neither the Wildcats nor their opponents driving in a run in the first innings. The Broncos nabbed three runs in the bottom of the first after a runner walked and was driven in by a deep single to center field followed by a two-run homer hit by Santa Clara's Efrain Manzo to take an early 3-0 lead.
The 'Cats answered back in the top of the second. With one out,
AJ Hansen took a walk and Whooley clipped a single to right field to advance Hansen to third. Mutz hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive Hansen home trimming the score to 3-1. DeGaetano fanned one, with two flying out to end the second.
After a scoreless third inning on both sides, the Broncos did some damage in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on and no outs, Manzo hit an RBI double. Manzo advanced to third on a ground out to the second baseman and scored on an RBI ground out to further the Santa Clara's lead 5-1.
The Broncos pitcher Cole Kitchen didn't allow a run to start the fifth. Santa Clara got two runners on painting the corners to start the bottom of the inning and scored on a sacrifice fly. Coleman Brigman homered to left center bring in two runs making it a 8-1 game. Dziados came in to relieve DeGaetano got the 'Cats out of the inning.
A scoreless sixth inning brought new life to the 'Cats with Whooley smashing a lead off double in the top of the seventh. Mutz followed with a single advancing Whooley to third. Whooley scored due to an error by the Broncos left fielder and Mutz moved to third. With bases loaded
Craig Larsen hit an RBI ground out to get Mutz in to home. The 'Cats trailed 8-3 by the end of the half inning.
The Wildcats were able to hold the Broncos off from scoring anymore runs but were unable to chip away at Santa Clara's lead in the eighth and ninth. The Broncos took the opening series 8-3 over Villanova.
UP NEXT: The 'Cats return on tomorrow Sunday March 12 for a double header to end the series against Santa Clara and their time in California. Game one's first pitch is set for 10 am PST/1 pm EST.
