SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - No. 3 seed San Francisco got on the board early and defeated No. 6 Santa Clara, 10-4, in the first round of the 2026 West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament from Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

With the win, the Dons will play No. 2 seed Pacific Thursday night at 7 p.m.

The Dons were able to gain the advantage early when they forced Santa Clara starter Max Bayles out of the game in the second inning. Bayles allowed an unearned run in the first inning due to a catcher's interference. After Bayles got taken out of the game in the second inning, a three-run home run by Trevor Harmon increased the Don's lead to 4-0. 

The Broncos best chance to get back in the game happened in the top of the sixth when Santa Clara loaded the bases with nobody out. Quentin Pohorski got a strikeout and a pop up to the catcher to get two outs. Pohorski then got the third out on a ground out to first base to end the Bronco threat. 

In the bottom half of the sixth, the Dons padded to their lead with an RBI double by Zack Ramppen, increasing the lead to 5-0. Jackson Nystrom scored all the way from first base on the play. Isaiah Landry added to the lead with a two-run single to left, making it 7-0, USF. 

Thomas Ferroggiaro got the Broncos on the board with a three-run homer to right to cut the deficit down to four at 7-3. 

In the bottom of the seventh, a wild pitch and an intentional walk loaded the bases with two outs. Ramppen made the Broncos regret the intentional walk with a bases-clearing three-run double to left-center. The big hit gave Ramppen four RBI on the day and increased the USF lead back to seven runs at 10-3. 

Gabriel Barrett earned the win after going five innings with four strikeouts and three hits. At one point he retired 13 batters in a row. Quentin Pohorski earned the save after four innings of work out of the bullpen to close out the game. 

Nystrom went 3-for-3 on the day with two runs.