Santa Clara University baseball lost a closely contested non-conference game to Clemson, 6-4, at Stephen Schott Stadium on Apr. 6. The Broncos briefly took the lead in the sixth inning before Clemson responded with a four-run eighth to secure the win.
The matchup saw Santa Clara (13-18) come from behind in the sixth inning, sparked by Ben Cleary’s leadoff single—only their second hit of the night at that point. Johnny Luetzow doubled Cleary home, and Will Anderson followed with an RBI single to tie the score at 2-2. Three consecutive two-out walks forced in another run, giving Santa Clara a short-lived lead.
Clemson (22-12) made key pitching changes during that frame and limited further damage when Joe Allen struck out Thomas Ferroggiaro with the bases loaded. The Tigers then staged their own comeback in the eighth inning when Jason Fultz Jr. hit his first career home run—a three-run shot—to reclaim the lead for Clemson. Additional singles added an insurance run.
Santa Clara managed three extra-base hits during the game, including Luetzow’s fourth straight contest with an RBI double. Despite these efforts, they left six runners stranded in scoring position throughout the night.
Pitching highlights for Santa Clara included Tyler Alleman setting a new career high with five strikeouts over three innings and Hunter Hargett contributing two strikeouts across more than one shutout inning. For Clemson, Allen earned his third win of the season while Justin LeGuernic collected his third save after pitching two innings and allowing only one sacrifice fly.
The Broncos’ pitching staff recorded 12 strikeouts—their thirteenth double-digit strikeout performance this season—and have now erased deficits sixteen times so far this year. Santa Clara will continue its homestand Friday against Saint Mary’s for a three-game West Coast Conference series.
