LAS VEGAS - No. 3 Santa Clara will be participating in the West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament final for the first time in tournament history after the Broncos beat No. 5 Saint Mary's, 17-3, Friday night in the WCC Baseball Tournament from Las Vegas Ballpark. 

Both teams got on the board in the first inning. Efrain Manzo of Santa Clara singled to left, scoring Michael O'Hara to put the Broncos up, 1-0, before Bill Ralston evened the game at one in the bottom of the first with a home run crushed to right field. 

In the second, SCU regained the lead with four runs. First, JonJon Berring recorded an RBI ground out with the bases loaded to make it 2-1 before Dawson Brigman slapped a two-run single up the middle, giving the Broncos a 4-1 lead. A wild pitch allowed the fourth Bronco to score in the frame. 

Leading, 5-1, in the top of the fifth, the Broncos added to their lead with three runs thanks to RBI doubles by Ben Steck and Berring, along with an RBI single by Dawson Brigman. 

Brigman crushed a two-run homer to center in the top of the seventh to make it, 11-1, SCU. For the game, Brigman was 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored.  

Jared Feikes was strong on the mount for SCU, going seven and a third, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. 

It's a quick turnaround for the Gaels now as they will now face No. 2 Portland in the late game tonight in an elimination game. The winner will face Santa Clara in tomorrow's championship game at 1 p.m. The winner of tonight's game will need to beat Santa Clara twice on Saturday in order to win the WCC Baseball Tournament. SCU only needs to win once to claim the title. 

The Broncos will vie to gain a berth into the NCAA Tournament tomorrow for the first time since 1997.