Broncos buck Pilots in three
Jeff Trousdale
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: Sports
The Portland Pilots baseball team came into last weekend with high hopes for a series win over the Santa Clara Broncos. The Broncos were 0-6 in the WCC, so the 2-4 Pilots had something to prove on their home field. Unfortunately though, it was for naught, as Santa Clara swept the three game series, beating the Pilots by only four combined runs over the series.
Thursday's game began the struggle for the Pilots, as they lost 6-4 in a matchup that left Head Coach Chris Sperry fuming.
"My fear is that we're going to walk out of here feeling like we were in a close game," Sperry said. "We played some very stupid baseball.
Santa Clara starter Nate Garcia went the distance in the game, throwing 120 pitches and striking out eight batters, while the Pilots used four different pitchers, led by starter Mark Triolo. The Pilots pitchers struck out six batters total between them all.
Santa Clara took the early lead in the game, going up 4-0 by the top of the third inning before senior Cort Carpenter drove in freshman Beau Fraser and senior Bryant Kraus on a single through left field to make the score 4-2. Portland scored two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, including one off a home run by junior Rocky Gale, but the Broncos also scored runs in the eighth and ninth to close out the Pilots.
Bryant Kraus, who had three hits for the day, said the Pilots needed more confidence coming into the game.
"We need to come up and know that we're better than them right off the bat," Bryant Kraus said.
The Pilots failed to take his advice though. As they again lost two close games in Saturday's doubleheader.
The Saturday morning game started out as a pitching battle, with Pilots starter Scott Burris battling Santa Clara's Thain Simon for five scoreless innings, as both offenses struggled to connect. Santa Clara drew first blood though, when senior Matt Long hit a triple and was brought into home on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Curtis Wagner in the top of the sixth.
Thursday's game began the struggle for the Pilots, as they lost 6-4 in a matchup that left Head Coach Chris Sperry fuming.
"My fear is that we're going to walk out of here feeling like we were in a close game," Sperry said. "We played some very stupid baseball.
Santa Clara starter Nate Garcia went the distance in the game, throwing 120 pitches and striking out eight batters, while the Pilots used four different pitchers, led by starter Mark Triolo. The Pilots pitchers struck out six batters total between them all.
Santa Clara took the early lead in the game, going up 4-0 by the top of the third inning before senior Cort Carpenter drove in freshman Beau Fraser and senior Bryant Kraus on a single through left field to make the score 4-2. Portland scored two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, including one off a home run by junior Rocky Gale, but the Broncos also scored runs in the eighth and ninth to close out the Pilots.
Bryant Kraus, who had three hits for the day, said the Pilots needed more confidence coming into the game.
"We need to come up and know that we're better than them right off the bat," Bryant Kraus said.
The Pilots failed to take his advice though. As they again lost two close games in Saturday's doubleheader.
The Saturday morning game started out as a pitching battle, with Pilots starter Scott Burris battling Santa Clara's Thain Simon for five scoreless innings, as both offenses struggled to connect. Santa Clara drew first blood though, when senior Matt Long hit a triple and was brought into home on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Curtis Wagner in the top of the sixth.