SANTA CLARA, Calif. – After two quiet offensive games in the series, the Dons' hitters exploded for 12 runs and 16 hits in a back-and-forth contest to claim their second consecutive WCC series victory with a 12-7 win over Santa Clara on Sunday afternoon at Stephen Schott Stadium.
 
Dominic Miroglio helped lead the offense by going 5-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBIs, while Allen Smoot tallied four hits, including his second home run of the year, and drove in three runs. Nico Giarratano doubled twice and drove in two and Dan James went 2-for-3 to round out the Dons with multiple hits on the day.
 
USF's 16 hits were the second most in a game this season and helped counter a rough outing for starter Daniel Slominski, who allowed five runs on eight hits over just two-plus innings of work.
 
Santa Clara (8-30, 4-11) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as John Cresto homered as the first batter to face Slominski. Jake Brodt and Matt Smithwick added RBI singles in the inning before Slominski was able to escape.
 
The Dons (21-20, 7-11 WCC) responded right away as Miroglio and Riley Helland led off the top of the second with back-to-back singles before Miroglio came around to score two batters later on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Harrison Bruce then drove in Helland with a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 3-2.
 
Smoot's solo home run to lead off the third tied it at 3-3, but Santa Clara answered with two of their own as Brodt scored on a wild pitch by USF reliever Benji Post and Evan Haberle ripped an RBI triple. The Broncos setup the scoring with a double and single to start the inning off Slominski, ending his outing with nobody out in the third.
 
The scoring continued as both teams plated two runs in the fourth inning. USF tied the game again, this time at 5-5, when Giarratano's double scored Dan James and Smoot's RBI single in the next at-bat brought home Giarratano.  
 
But again the Broncos answered as Cresto led off the inning with a double and Niko Holm reached on an infield single with both coming around to score on Haberle's two-out two-run single up the middle.
 
Trailing 7-5 in the top of the sixth, the Dons took advantage of a three-base error on Smithwick in right field, allowing Matt Sinatro to get to third, where he was promptly driven in by Giarratano's double to right center. Giarratano came around to score on a wild pitch before Miroglio picked up an RBI with a single that scored Michael Perri, who had singled earlier and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
 
Left-hander Scott Parker (4-1), who ended up picking up the win in relief with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, helped maintain the 8-7 lead with a one-two-three sixth.  
 
With the bullpen holding the Broncos scoreless from there out, USF was able to put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh that featured RBI singles from Smoot and Miroglio, a sacrifice fly by Helland and a first-and-third double steal that brought Smoot across.
 
The Broncos put a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth before Brendan Jenkins was able to get a strikeout and Miroglio threw out a runner trying to steal second to end the game.
 
USF returns home on Tuesday to host Cal in nonconference action. First pitch from Benedetti Diamond is slated for 3 p.m.