SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Pacific baseball team returned to West Conference play this weekend for a three-game series at Santa Clara. The Tigers dropped the first game Friday night, 5-3 as Matthew Tarantino went 3-for-4 and drove in all three runs for Pacific.  

Justin Giovannoni heaved three innings striking out three and allowed just four hits, but the Broncos took advantage of them, plating three runs of the Tigers starter, who falls to 0-3.

Santa Clara's Grant Nechak (2-6) allowed four hits in eight innings and didn't allow an earned run to pick up the win.  

In the first, Santa Clara got on the board early after a pair of walks and a three-run home run from Jake Brodt to take the lead, 3-0.

The Tigers answered in the third as Preston Moebius was hit by a pitch and then crossed the plate thanks to a Tarantino home run to center field to cut the Broncos lead to 3-2.  

Giovannoni departed after three and a third innings, making way for Miles Haddad.

Santa Clara tacked on another run in the fifth as Brodt hit his second home run of the evening with a solo shot to left center field to extend the Bronco lead, 4-2.

Ryan Shreve tossed a scoreless sixth inning for the Tigers before giving up a pair of singles and a run to the Broncos in the seventh stretching their lead to 5-2.  

In the eighth, Kevin Sandri reached on a throwing error and advanced to second as Keaton Glover grounded out to third base. The Tigers made sure to capitalize on the Bronco error as Tarantino ripped a single to left field allowing Sandri to come around and score for the shortstop's third RBI of the evening and cutting Santa Clara's lead to 5-3.  But that was the end of Pacific's threat as Alonzo Billips came in and recorded three quick outs for Santa Clara.  

Haddad faced two batters forcing them both to ground out while Shreve threw four innings allowing two earned runs on three hits punching out two batters and walking a pair.

Santa Clara improves to 12-35 overall and 8-14 in the WCC, while Pacific falls to 16-31 overall and 4-18 in conference play.  

The series continues Saturday with the first pitch slated for 7 p.m.