SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State baseball rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game on one swing of the bat in the eighth inning, but four runs in the top proved costly as they fell to Santa Clara by final of 7-3 in the 2020 season opener on Friday at Excite Ballpark.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the eighth, James Shimashita led off the frame with a single to first and swiped second to put a runner in scoring position. One out later, redshirt sophomore Ruben Ibarra dug in and sent a rocket over the gap in left-center to tie the game at 3-3. The home run was the first of Ibarra's career and it came in his first game back after sitting out all of 2019 with an injury.
"This was living my dream," Ibarra said. "Since freshman year I've wanted it, but then a couple of twists and turns happened. That's just how life takes its course. I got surgery and redshirted last year, so as unfortunate as that was I came out here really hungry, so this means a lot to me right now. The fact that I got to do it for Coach Sanfilippo and for my guys and family who were here to see it, it feels good. But this is just game one of a long season, so you've got to keep a pace on and I think that displaying confidence is the key to succeeding."
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Unfortunately for the Spartans, Santa Clara put up four runs in the top of the ninth inning, all coming with two outs, to regain control of the contest and pick up the series-opening win.
JUCO transfer Spencer Long got the nod as the Spartans' starting pitcher in his first Division I action and worked 4.1 innings before giving way for sophomore Jonathan Clark. Clark, in his first action since undergoing surgery on his throwing arm in the offseason, was sensational in his own 4.1 innings of work, striking out eight of 16 batters faced against just two walks. He also gave up zero hits in the effort.
"Clark really allowed us to stay in this game," head coach Brad Sanfilippo said. "Although the first inning was long and Santa Clara was able to put up some hits, Spencer Long was able to keep it to one run, which was good. Then Clark just coming in with the energy and competitiveness that he had allowed us to get back in the game. It allowed us the opportunity for us to find the board and then tie the game.
"I think we were a little careful with him," Sanfilippo continued. "He missed the fall pretty much and so we are trying to be conservative with his pitch count, and that's what happens in the beginning of the year. But his performance was really something that we can be excited about and his teammates really rallied around it."
Despite the big outing, Clark was ultimately responsible for the go-ahead run due to a hit-by-pitch and was charged with the loss. Travis Howard (1-0), who worked the final two innings for the Broncos picked up the win despite surrendering Ibarra's homer.
The SJSU offense struggled to find it's footing in the first few innings. They were held without a hit for the first four innings before freshman Robert Hamchuk, in his collegiate debut, laced a RBI single to center to plate Ruben Mercado, who reached base thanks to a wild pitch and throwing error, for SJSU's first run of the season.
The Spartans finished with six hits on the evening with Ibarra leading the charge with two hits. The Watsonville native got his first knock on an opposite field double in the sixth.
Santa Clara (1-0) finished with 12 hits as four players finished with multiple hits. Ryan McCarthy led the way with three hits.
The Spartans and Broncos return to the diamond tomorrow for a double-header. Game one begins at 1:00 p.m. PT at Excite Ballpark.