Santa Clara University baseball lost to Saint Mary’s on April 10 in the West Coast Conference series opener at Stephen Schott Stadium, with a final score of 8-1. Both teams recorded double-digit hits and strong pitching performances, but Santa Clara was unable to capitalize on its opportunities.
The outcome is significant for the Broncos as it marks their eleventh game this season with double-figure base hits, yet they continue to struggle with leaving runners stranded. The team left 11 runners on base, including six in scoring position, and went just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
Santa Clara (13-19, 3-7 WCC) did not draw a walk for the first time since March 20. Thomas Ferroggiaro was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning for their only free pass. Saint Mary’s starter John Damozonio struck out eight batters and allowed only one run over seven innings. Reliever Talin Gardini pitched two shutout innings to secure the win for the Gaels (19-14, 6-4 WCC).
The Gaels scored three runs off Santa Clara starter Max Bayles in the third inning and continued adding runs throughout the game. By contrast, Saint Mary’s hitters were more effective with runners on base, going five for fourteen with runners in scoring position compared to Santa Clara’s one for seven.
Notable individual performances included Johnny Luetzow extending his reached-base streak to eleven games and Bayles moving closer to entering Santa Clara’s all-time top ten strikeouts list; he now has 224 career strikeouts.
The series will continue Saturday at Stephen Schott Stadium.
