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USF Knocks Off Santa Clara 4-2
May 8, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO - USF picked up a solid pitching performance from senior Derek Tate as they beat the Santa Clara Broncos 4-2 Saturday afternoon in West Coast Conference action. Seniors Chris Genung and Armand Gaerlan both hit home runs in the win for USF (23-28, 10-13 WCC). Santa Clara (21-27, 10-13 WCC) picked up eight solid innings from starting pitcher Chad Fillinger (4-9) in a losing effort.
Santa Clara got on the board first, scoring on a run on sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning. The Dons came right back in the bottom of the inning. After a leadoff single from junior Cy Donald, senior Armand Gaerlan ripped a double down the left field line to tie the game. The base hit put Gaerlan all alone in the #3 spot with 288 all-time base hits as a Don. It also extended his hitting streak to 19 games. Junior Royce Fukuroku added a pair of hits on the day.
With the score still tied in the bottom of the fifth, clean up hitter Chris Genung came up with a man on. Genung promptly deposited a fastball over the center field wall for his fifth of the year, giving the Dons a 3-1 lead.
Santa Clara would cut the lead to 3-2 on a towering home run to left from Nic Crosta in the top of the six, but Gaerlan would come through again, crushing his third home run of the season to left field in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 4-2.
Tate (4-7) went eight and a third innings, scattering six hits, and striking out a career-high 10 Bronco hitters. Eight different Santa Clara hitters struck out during the game.
Sophomore Patrick McGuigan came on the ninth and struck out the two batters that he faced to pick up his sixth save of the season, tying him with Chuck Nat for the single season high. Nat saved six games for the Dons in 1982.
The two teams meet again tomorrow for the rubber game of the three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM.
GAME NOTES: Armand Gaerlan's home run in the eighth inning was his first home run since February 24th, when the Dons beat Cal in Berkeley. The home run today was Gaerlan's 21st of his career, moving him to a tie for fifth all-time with Steve Booth (2001-2002) and Jason Howard (1998-2003)... Gaerlan also added two RBI, giving him 120 in his career, good for 3rd all-time as a Don... Genung's three-run homer in the fifth inning was his second three-run homer in consecutive days.































