SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's baseball team erupted for 11 runs on 15 hits as the Gaels took game one of the series against Santa Clara, winning by a final score of 11-6 Friday evening at Stephen Schott Stadium.  Leading the Gaels attack was junior Brenden Kalfus who went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and an RBI.

Saint Mary's (20-19/4-9 WCC) had seven players record hits on the night, with four players recording multi-hit nights.  Martin Agosta (7-2) got plenty of run support to help him get the win and move into a tie with Kyle Barraclough for sixth all-time with 17 career wins.  Agosta went 7.0 complete, scattering nine hits, six runs, five earned, with one walk and eight strike outs in 111 pitches.

In the top of the second Kalfus led off the inning with his fifth double of the season, a bloop shot just out of reach of a diving Bronco down the left field line.  He hustled out of the box and took second when no one was covering.  Kalfus scored on the next play, when Nick Rosso singled up the middle.  Rosso came around to score on an error by Santa Clara pitcher Tommy Nance (4-3) who rushed a throw to first trying to throw out Chris Murphy.  Murphy moved to second on the errant throw, and then advanced to third on the perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Toby DeMello.  With two strikes Collins singled to right field to bring in Murphy from third. 

In the bottom of the second inning Agosta got the shut down inning the Gaels were looking for, he was helped out by the strong arm of DeMello who threw out Kyle DeMerritt and Andrew Biancaridi on back-to-back steal attempts to end the inning.  DeMello has now thrown out 23 base runners attempting to steal in 40 attempts.

Santa Clara (19-19/2-11 WCC) got on the board tallying back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the third inning.  Matt Glomb singled up the middle for Santa Clara to start the rally.  He came around on a two-run home run by Greg Harisis who smashed a 0-2 mistake by Agosta down the right field line.  Santa Clara kept the rally going when Lucas Herbst followed suit with a solo blast in the exact same spot. 

The Broncos briefly took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Glomb singled to left center field; he advanced 90 feet by stealing second.  Herbst once again got the best of Agosta, knocking an 0-1 offering just over the head of Murphy at second to score Glomb from third and take the 4-3 lead.

Kalfus led off the fifth inning reaching safely by way of the third Bronco error on the evening, he moved over to third on the second hit of the night by Rosso.  Kalfus scored on a wild pitch by Nance, while Rosso advanced to second.  DeMello notched his first hit of the inning, knocking a ball down the right field line that scored Rosso from second to put the Gaels out front 5-4. 

The bottom of the fifth started with SCU's Pat Stover leading off the inning with a solo home run down the left field line.  Third base umpire Dan Payne initially ruled it a foul ball, but after a discussion with the other umpires the call was overturned and ruled it a home run to tie the game up at five.

Saint Mary's didn't take long to retake the lead.  Ferguson singled through the right side in the top of the seventh with one out.  He moved up 90 feet on a passed ball and came around to score on a single by Kalfus, who advanced to second on the throw by the right fielder.  That ended the day for Nance.  New pitcher Max Deering gave up an infield single to Ross that put runners at the corners for SMC with two outs and Murphy up.  Murphy had the big hit of the night a two out, two run double to left center that scored Rosso and Kalfus and put the Gaels out front 8-5. 

For Nance he went 6.2 innings, allowing 10 hits, seven runs, four earned, with no walks and three strike outs.  Deering did not fare much better, in 2.1 innings, he allowed five hits, four runs, all earned, with two walks and a strike out.

Agosta came back out for the Gaels in the top of the seventh, he got a quick out before allowing Harisis to reach on an error by Agosta.  Harisis took second when Agosta dropped the ball and kicked it away down the right field line.  Agosta then got Herbst to ground out to second allowing Harisis to move to third, who eventually scored on a wild pitch.  Agosta got out of the inning getting Matt Ozanne to strike out; Agosta's eighth strike out victim of the evening.  Agosta went 7.0 complete, allowing nine hits, six runs, five earned, with one walk and eight strike outs in 111 pitches.

Patrick Keane came into the game for the Gaels in the bottom of the eight, he got a ground out a strike out, a two out single was quickly erased when DeMello threw out his fourth base runner attempting to steal. 

Saint Mary's added three runs in the top of the ninth, to go up 11-6, Collins, and Boas with the RBI knocks.  Boas doubled down the left field line to score Kalfus and DeMello and then came around to score on the single through the right side by Collins.

Keane came back out in the bottom of the ninth inning and worked another quick frame, as he retired the Broncos in order, retiring two strike outs.  For the evening, Keane pitched 2.0 complete and faced the minimum with one hit surrendered.

Saint Mary's returns to action tomorrow, when the Gaels and Broncos play game two of the series at 1:00 p.m. at Stephen Schott Stadium. The Gaels will send RHP Kyle Barraclough to the mound, while Santa Clara will counter with lefty Powell Fansler.