Big Green Drop to 0-7 After Doubleheader Loss at Santa Clara

Saturday, March 21

Santa Clara, Calif.

4:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

0-6

Santa Clara

8-7

Dartmouth

Santa Clara

Big Green Drop to 0-7 After Doubleheader Loss at Santa Clara

3/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dartmouth

Game One Box | Game Two Box

SANTA CLARA, Calif. ? Alex Rivers retired the first 20 batters he faced and had a no-hitter after seven innings for Santa Clara to help the host Broncos complete a doubleheader sweep of the Dartmouth Big Green on Saturday afternoon. Santa Clara (9-7) won the first game on the strength of Juan Parra's four-hit game, 11-6, then shut out the Big Green (0-7) on three hits in the nightcap, 3-0. The seven-game skid to start the season is the longest in 10 years when the Green also lost seven straight as well.

Of those first 20 batters Rivers (2-0) faced and retired, he struck out 11. Junior Nick Santomauro (North Caldwell, N.J.) broke up the perfect game when he reached on an error by the shortstop, but Rivers got the final out to keep the no-hitter intact.

His no-hit bid ended quickly in the eighth, however, as senior Ray Allen (Longwood, Fla.) ripped a clean single to left. After junior Jim Wren (Granbury, Texas) also singled to left, Rivers gave way to Steve Kalush. Freshman Joe Sclafani greeted Kalush with a single of his own, loading the bases and bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Kalush escaped the jam without a run scoring, striking out two pinch hitters before getting a fly to right to foil the rally. In the ninth, he fanned two more and picked up his first save of the year.

Rivers performance spoiled the solid start by sophomore Colin Britton (Poughquag, N.Y.), who hurled 6.1 innings in his season debut. The Broncos managed just five hits off him, but those hits all came in the first ans sixth innings. Matt Long doubled with one out in the first and came home on Geoff Klein's single, then back-to-back doubles to start the sixth by Brady Fuerst and Andrew Biancardi made it 2-0.

Britton (0-1) left after issuing a walk with one out in the seventh, and that runner scored when Jon Karcich doubled off sophomore reliever Dan Ternowchek (Glenmoore, Pa.) for the final run.

The Big Green held a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth in the first game of the twinbill after an RBI double off the bat of senior Mike Pagliarulo (Worcester, Mass.), but Santa Clara tied the game again in its half on a pair of singles, putting runners on the corners, and a double-play grounder that allowed the runner to score from third.

With the score still tied in the sixth, junior pitcher Robert Young (Cleburne, Texas) walked the lead-off hitter before consecutive singles loaded the bases. Juan Parra, already 3-for-3 with a triple, ripped a three-run double for his fourth hit and a 6-3 Bronco lead. A wild pitch and a Long sacrifice fly boosted Santa Clara's advantage to four runs.

Dartmouth answered in the top of the seventh, Earl Weaver style. Sophomore Jeff Onstott (Houston, Texas) walked to lead off an inning for the third time in the game, and Pagliarulo drew a one-out walk. Senior Ray Allen (Longwood, Fla.) then launched a three-run bomb, his first of the year, to make it a 7-6 ball game.

In the bottom half, the Broncos had a rebuttal to Dartmouth's answer, scoring four more runs, this time off sophomore reliever Ryan Smith (Greenlawn, N.Y). Biancardi led off with a single, then scored on Curtis Wagner's double. J.R. Graham followed with an RBI single and David Abraham beat out a bunt, the fourth bunt single of the game for Santa Clara. Parra moved the runners along with a sacrifice and Long drove in both runners with a single of his own.

The Big Green got a single in both the eighth and ninth innings, but no more as Json Westerberg, who came on after Allen's long ball, finished off the 11-6 victory for his first save of the year with 2.2 scoreless frames.

Young (0-2) took the loss, surrendering seven runs in his six innings on 13 hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Garcia (4-1), who entered the game with a 2.10 ERA, picked up the win despite yielding eight hits and six runs, all earned, in 6.1 innings. He walked four batters and struck out five.

Onstott scored each time he walked for half of Dartmouth's runs, while Santomauro, Pagliarulo, Allen and Sclafani all had two hits apiece. Pagliarulo reached base four times with a single, double, walk and hit by pitch.

These two teams will finish their three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. (EDT), weather permitting.