Team Drops Three to No. 6

Baseball group falls to a top 10-ranked team at home

Andrew SlapTHE SANTA CLARAApril 23, 2015

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Broncos faced a tough test last weekend against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs, the No. 6 team in the nation.

Santa Clara gave TCU all they could handle in the series opener, but ended up falling just short, losing 1-0. Due to recent injuries to the pitching staff, Reece Karalus, the normal closer for the Broncos, got the start. Karalus was near perfect through five innings, allowing just one run. Jason Seever continued the strong pitching, shutting out TCU over three innings of work.

As great as Karalus and Seever were, the Horned Frogs’ pitching staff proved to be even better. The Broncos managed just five hits, and sophomore Stevie Berman’s double was the only extra base hit.

Freshman Eric Lex got the start in the next game, and gave up five earned runs in four innings. O’Brien was forced to call on his bullpen early on, and it continued to deliver. Max Kuhns was dominant, holding TCU to one hit over 3.2 innings.

But the Broncos still struggled at the plate. Freshman Grant Meylan drove in the only run for Santa Clara, and the Broncos dropped the second game, 6-1.

The Horned Frogs pride themselves on pitching, posting the best ERA in the country. Their pitching continued to quiet the Broncos’ bats in the series finale.

Junior Ryan Budnick solely blasted a two-run shot for Santa Clara in the seventh inning.

Senior Evan Brisentine was on the mound for the Broncos, and allowed three earned runs over 3.1 innings. The bullpen again was called on early in the game, but this time TCU found some success against the Broncos’ relievers, tallying four more runs to complete the sweep.

Following this three-game set against TCU, the Broncos are now 3-7 against ranked opponents. Though the record may not seem too encouraging, three of the losses were by a single run.

Santa Clara has proven they can compete with the top teams in the country, which should go a long way for this emerging program.

“There were countless small victories and positive takeaways,” said Head Coach Dan O’Brien. “And although the scoreboard didn’t show it, our approaches at the plate were very solid, especially considering the caliber of their pitching staff.”

Contact Andrew Slap at aslap@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.