Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Nine innings just hasn't been enough to decide the first two games of this weekends series between the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara, as the Diamond Dons emerged victorious Saturday, 5-3, in 13 innings. USF needed 12 innings Friday night to defeat the Broncos, 4-3, at Stephen Schott Stadium. USF moved to 19-15 (7-4 WCC) with the win, while the Broncos fell to 9-23 (0-11 WCC).
In a game marred by missed opportunities at the plate for USF, Zachary Turner and
Bob Cruikshank delivered in the top of the 13
th with run-scoring hits, scoring
Jason Mahood and
Bradley Zimmer who had earlier singled.
USF collected 17 hits in the game, but was just 4-for-20 (.200) with runners in scoring position, and 3-for-14 (.214) with two outs. In what has been a constant this season, Dons pitchers won the majority of their battles, holding Santa Clara to 3-for-15 (.200) with runners in scoring position.
After grounding into a double play in his first at bat of the season after the Dons gave up their designated hitter,
Haden Hinkle (7-1) shut down Santa Clara in the 13
th to win his conference-leading seventh game of the season. Hinkle pitched 2.2 innings of one-hit baseball and worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the 12
th inning to keep the Dons in the game.
The Dons scored early, once in the second and again in the third on a
Bradley Zimmer solo home run of the year to left-center that extended the Dons lead to 2-0. The home run was Zimmer's sixth of the season, good for second in the conference. After T.J. Braff tied the game with a two-run home run in the fourth, the teams traded runs to take a 3-3 tie into extra innings.
Alex Balog started for USF, pitching into the eighth inning and allowing three earned runs on 10 hits. After hitting the leadoff batter in the eighth, Balog gave way to
Andrew Pulido who escaped a one-out, first-and-third jam to keep the game tied.
USF is four games over .500 for the first time all season and is 8-3 in one-run games. The Dons improved to 4-1 in extra innings.
The Dons and Broncos play the final game of the series tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Inside the Numbers
USF has won eight of its last nine games, seven of its last nine West Coast Conference games and 12 of 16 overall.
Zachary Turner saw action at first base after
Brendan Hendriks was pinch-hit for, the first time Turner has played the field this season.
Every Dons starter had at least one hit on the day.
Bradley Zimmer threw out a runner attempting to go first-to-third in the fifth inning, his fourth outfield assist of the season.
Line of the Game
Andrew Pulido – 3.1 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Haden Hinkle – 2.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
