.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Santa Clara
Players Mentioned
Baseball Team Drops Series Finale at Santa Clara
March 28, 2010 | Baseball
LINKS: Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (3/28/10) - Santa Clara used a seven-run second inning to overcome an early deficit and defeat the Princeton baseball team 14-5 on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a four-game series at Stephen Schott Stadium. The Broncos took three of four games from Princeton.
Santa Clara scored 14 runs on 17 hits and took advantage of three Tiger errors, while Princeton plated five runs on 12 hits. Six of the hits were for extra bases.
Princeton put the first two runs on the scoreboard by plating two in the top of the first inning. Brian Berkowitz drove in both runs with a double to the wall in right center after Alex Flink singled and Sam Mulroy doubled with one out.
Princeton's lead lasted until the bottom of the second when the Broncos pushed across seven runs on seven hits and took advantage of a pair of Tiger errors. Tiger starter Zak Hermans should have gotten out of the inning with three Santa Clara runs home, but an error on what should have been an inning-ending groundball kept the Broncos alive and they were able to plate an additional four runs for the 7-2 lead.
The Tigers looked to claw back at the Bronco lead in the middle innings, putting a runner on second with less than two outs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but Santa Clara starter Chris Mendoza was able to pitch around those three doubles and keep Princeton off the scoreboard through the middle three frames. Brandon Englert, Noel Gonzales-Luna and Berkowitz had the three doubles.
Santa Clara added three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Curtis Wagner singled in a run and Tommy Medica hit a two-run homer to center field. The Broncos added another two in the seventh as Evan Peters and Justin Viele drove in runs.
The Tigers got two runs back in the eighth inning when Jon Broscious hit his third home run of the series, an opposite field shot to right center. It was his team-leading fifth of the season and came after Englert led off the inning with a single. It was also the 17th home run of his career, which ranks seventh in the Princeton record books. Princeton followed up the home run by loading the bases with no outs and pushed across a fifth run on an infield single by Gonzales-Luna, but a double play and strikeout ended the inning for Santa Clara with no further damage.
Hermans went five and two-thirds and was tagged for six earned runs on 11 hits in the loss. Mendoza allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings for the win.
Princeton falls to 5-13 with the loss. The Tigers return to action next Saturday when they open the Ivy League schedule and home slate with a doubleheader against Harvard.