By: Zulma Canahui-Bajxac (@zulmac05) —Reporter
San Jose State baseball team lost to Santa Clara on Tuesday 12-9 in walk-off fashion.
The crosstown rivalry sure lived up to its hype, as the Spartans battled back down seven runs to tie it in the 9th inning at nine apiece.
“We came back from a 7-0 spot and that’s huge from us,” said sophomore outfielder Kimo Fukofuka, who homered in his first career start as a Spartan on his birthday.
The Spartans scored 4-0 in the fifth inning, making it a tie with the Broncos at 8-8.
The tie continued into the sixth inning and it wasn’t until the seventh that the Broncos again took the lead.
The Spartans regained their energy in the 9th inning when sophomore outfielder Dalton Bowling hit a home run, tying the ballgame at nine.
“Just a big swing-out out of me in the ninth to give [ourselves] a chance to win that ball game. Tie it up,” Bowling said.
With Bowling’s home run, the Spartans seemed to have another shot despite the rough.
“That 7 really hurt us, other than that I think that we played a really good ball game,” Bowling said.
It was anyone’s game. As sophomore Joey Cammarata was on the mound, he was one pitch away from an out, a necessary opportunity for the Spartans to continue their shot at winning.
Broncos’ Coleman Brigman hit a home run that led to Santa Clara going home with a win.
“It’s not really easy to win a game when you give up seven in one inning. We gotta eliminate the beginning if we want to win. We just need to show up ready to play,” said head coach Brad Sanfilippo.
Dusting themselves from a 7-0 score, the Spartans achieved that against the Broncos despite its low odds. With the loss, the Spartans now have an overall 12-9, yet still felt the repercussions of the third inning in the end.
The Spartans will continue in the Mountain West, going up against UNLV on Friday, at Excite Ballpark at 6:05 p.m.