Feb. 26, 2013
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - San Diego State's offensive struggles continued Tuesday night as it dropped a 12-3 decision to Santa Clara at the Broncos' Stephen Schott Stadium. It was the fifth straight loss for the Aztecs who saw their record fall to 3-5 on the young season.
Junior right-hander TJ Kendzora (0-1) made his first start of the season, but lasted only 1.1 innings after surrendering two runs in each of the first two frames to give the home side a quick 4-0 lead. Kendzora allowed the four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk before giving way to Brandon Thomas, the second of five SDSU hurlers on the night.
Santa Clara (4-4) effectively put the game away in the sixth inning when it put six runs on the board to up its lead to 10-0. Those six runs came on six hits and a pair of walks.
The Aztecs, meanwhile, had only four hits over the first six innings and had no more than one runner on in any of those frames.
The Broncos made it 12-0 by adding two more runs in the sixth before San Diego State got on the board in the top of the seventh. The Aztecs loaded the bases to open the frame on a walk to Matt Munoz, single by Jake Romanski and hit by pitch to Avondre Bollar. After a strikeout, Evan Potter grounded out to short to bring home Munoz, but that's all SDSU would get in the inning.
Sophomore pitcher Mike RoBards proved to be SDSU's most effective hurler on the night as he went the final three innings allowing no runs on no hits with two strikeouts and no walks. But that effort was too late as the Aztec would only score two more runs with both of those coming in the ninth inning.
In the final frame, Bollar reached on an error and scored on an RBI double by John Spirk, who advanced to third on a wild pitch before Potter's ground out to second brought him home with the game's final run.
Spirk's double was his second hit of the evening as he would be the lone Aztec with one than one on the night.
San Diego State and Santa Clara will conclude their two-game mid-week series with a contest on Wednesday slated for a 2:00 p.m. start. San Diego State then returns home for three games against Seton Hall starting Friday (March 1(at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.