San Diego defeated Santa Clara University 5-1 in the opening game of a three-game West Coast Conference baseball series at Fowler Park, according to an April 2 report. The Toreros relied on strong hitting and effective pitching to secure the win.
The matchup matters for both teams as they look to improve their records within the conference. San Diego now holds a record of 10-17 overall and 3-4 in conference play, while Santa Clara falls to 13-15 overall and also stands at 3-4 in the WCC.
CJ Moran hit a two-run home run in the third inning, breaking a scoreless tie and giving San Diego an early lead. Moran’s home run narrowly cleared the center field wall. Broncos starter Cooper Lanz allowed only those two runs through his outing before being relieved. Later, Diego Gonzalez and Andrew Gauna each hit solo home runs in the eighth inning, extending San Diego’s advantage.
Santa Clara’s offense was limited by pitchers Nate DeSchryver, Porter Rovin, and Hayden Cody from San Diego. The Broncos managed just three hits throughout the game and left five runners stranded, four of whom were in scoring position. Johnny Luetzow provided Santa Clara’s only run with a sacrifice fly that brought Max Ross home after Ross led off with a double.
Moran finished with three hits for San Diego, including three RBIs and one run scored. Gonzalez contributed two hits from the ninth spot in the lineup along with an RBI and two runs scored. For Santa Clara, Luetzow, Ross, and Andrew Rayment each had one hit.
Santa Clara has now lost nine consecutive road games since Feb. 14—matching another nine-game road losing streak it experienced from April to May last year. Additionally, Ben Cleary’s streak of reaching base safely ended at 26 games after he went hitless without any walks or hit-by-pitches during Thursday’s contest.
The second game of this series is scheduled for Friday evening at Fowler Park.
