May 30, 2010

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - In a game in which both teams seemingly did not want the 2010 season to end, Santa Clara (23-31, 8-13) defeated LMU (23-33, 5-16) by a count of 22-13 on Senior Day at LMU's Page Stadium. Sunday's marathon affair lasted a season-high three hours and 57 minutes, and saw a combined 35 runs on 42 hits. LMU set a season-high with eight doubles, including three apiece from senior Brad Bauer and sophomore Ryan Hawthorne.

Santa Clara, which scored in every inning except the sixth and ninth, posted five runs in the first, five more in the fifth and six in the eighth to highlight the offensive output. The 22 runs were the most surrendered by Lion pitching since allowing 22 versus Pepperdine on April 19, 2008. The 25 hits were the most surrendered by the Lions since allowing 26 to UC Irvine on May 14, 2008. The eight doubles by the Lion offense were the most since collecting eight on April 4, 2009 versus Portland.

Hawthorne led the Lion offense with a 3-for-6 day at the plate, including the three doubles, two runs scored and four RBI. Bauer was also 3-for-6 with three doubles and a RBI. Sophomore Shon Roe had a solid day as well, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, a triple and three RBI. Freshman Matt Lowenstein extended his hitting streak to 16 straight games with a 1-for-5 day, and also collected three RBI in the loss.

Senior Xavier Esquivel got the start and lasted three innings, allowing nine runs on 11 hits en route to taking the loss. Freshman Aaron Griffin tossed an inning and a third, surrendering four runs before John Lally gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning of work. Ramiro Carreon was the fourth of six pitchers used by LMU on Sunday, surrendering a run over two innings before senior Greg Meyers allowed four runs without recording an out. Fellow senior Jordan McClintick finished the game on the hill for LMU, tossing the final two innings and allowing two runs on five hits.

Senior Tommy Medica had an outstanding day for Santa Clara, batting 4-for-6 with four runs scored, two doubles, a home run and five RBI. The homer was Medica's 13th of the year. Ryan Rieger drove in four runs and went 4-for-5 with three doubles and three runs scored to help Santa Clara to the victory.

Santa Clara got on the board in a big way in the first inning, scoring five times all with two out to take an early 5-0 lead. After two quick outs, Medica belted his team-best 13th home run of the year over the wall in centerfield to get the rally started. Geoff Klein and Rieger followed with singles to put a pair of runners aboard, both moving up 90 feet on a passed ball charged to Matt Koch. Esquivel should have escaped further damage on the ensuing play, striking out Patrick Terry, but the ball skipped in the dirt and away from Koch, allowing Terry to reach safely. Moreover, Koch tried to throw Terry out on the play, firing wide of the bag to let both runners score safely. Lucas Herbst continued the rally with a single to put runners at the corners on the ensuing play, preceding a stolen base to set the table for a two-RBI single from Ian O'Connor to cap the scoring run.

LMU answered for a run in the bottom of the first inning, benefitting from a Jonathan Johnson walk and a Jason Barmasse single to start the inning. Koch followed with a walk two batters later, loading the bases for Lowenstein. The left-handed hitter grounded a ball to second base and beat the double-play turn to drive in the run. Bauer nearly split the gap in right centerfield to plate a few more runs for the Lions, but centerfielder Matt Ozanne covered ground and made a spectacular diving catch to end the inning.

The Broncos were back at it again in the second inning, plating three more runs to extend the lead to 8-1. An Ozanne single and an Evan Peters double set up a Medica two-bagger to left field to plate the first two runs of the inning. Santa Clara played situational baseball for the third run of the frame, grounding a ball to the right side to advance the runner, and then lifting a pitch into deep centerfield for a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rieger for the RBI.

The Lions once again managed to answer for runs in the bottom of the second, scoring twice to run the tally to 8-3. Sean McIntyre won a quality at bat with a walk on seven pitches to start the inning before moving to second on a hit-by-pitch. Roe drove in the first run with a double off Mikos Blue Monster in left field, leaving runners at second and third. Barmasse did his job two batters later, trading an out for a run on a ground ball to first base to plate Alex Guthrie.

Santa Clara made it four straight innings with at least a run scored in the third and fourth, plating a run on an O'Connor single and a Justin Viele double down the left field line in the third inning. O'Connor put himself in scoring position for Viele, stealing his first base of the season in his first stolen base attempt. Rieger had a one-out double in the fourth inning before coming around to score on a Herbst two-out RBI-single back up the box to push the lead to 10-3.

LMU got within two runs at 10-8 by scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Guthrie singled through the left side to jumpstart the offense before moving to second on a single from Roe. Johnson followed by grounding a ball to first base where the throw to second sailed wide, allowing Guthrie to score and Roe to reach second safely. A Barmasse single loaded the bases, setting the table for a two-RBI double from Hawthorne off the wall in left field. Lowenstein drove in the fourth run of the inning with a grounder to second base before Bauer notched his second double of the game to cap the scoring run.

Refusing to surrender momentum, Santa Clara posted five runs of its own in the fifth to reclaim a comfortable lead at 15-8. Viele led things off with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base. A fielder's choice and a pair of singles from Ozanne and Medica loaded the bases and forced a call to the LMU bullpen. Lally struck out Klein for the second out of the inning after coming out of the pen, but Rieger would not let the Lions off the hook easily, doubling-home a pair of runs with a shot down the left field line. A wild pitch allowed the next Bronco run to score before Terry capped the rally with a two-run shot to straight-away centerfield, his fourth round-tripper of the year.

After Santa Clara scored once more in the seventh, LMU responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. A sacrifice fly pushed the run across for the Broncos, while LMU benefitted from a two-RBI triple from Roe in the home-half of the inning. Hawthorne capped the scoring in the seventh inning, lining a double down the left field line to plate Roe.

The Broncos blew the game open in the eighth, scoring six times in the frame to take a 22-11 lead after eight innings. Ozanne collected a RBI-single in the frame, but RBI-doubles from Medica and Rieger highlighted the scoring run. LMU managed to push two runs across in the bottom of the ninth, but the runs were too little and far too late, as the Lions dropped the lopsided affair at 22-13. Johnson doubled before Hawthorne collected his third double of the game to drive in the run. Coming to the plate for his sixth plate appearance of the day, Lowenstein extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a liner right back up the middle to plate Hawthorne and end the scoring on Sunday.

The Lions finished the 2010 season with a 23-33 overall record and a 5-16 mark in the WCC, placing eighth in the conference. The Lions dropped seven of their last eight games of the season.