SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Interstat) — A three-homer barrage in the middle innings propelled the Santa Clara Broncos to a 4-2 victory over the Loyola Marymount Lions in a West Coast Conference baseball game Saturday at Stephen Schott Stadium.

The win, secured before an evening crowd after an afternoon start, gave Santa Clara its second straight win in the series following a 17-2 rout on Friday. It improved the Broncos’ record to 11-14 overall, while the Lions fell to 8-22.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the fourth inning, turning a tied game into a lead Santa Clara would not relinquish. With the score knotted at 2-2, Santa Clara’s Mateo Garcia led off the frame with a solo home run to right field off Loyola Marymount starter Adam Behrens. One batter later, Ben Walsh followed with another solo shot, this one to right-center, to extend the Broncos’ advantage to 4-2.

That two-run cushion proved decisive as five Santa Clara relievers combined to stifle the Lions’ offense over the final six innings. The Lions managed only three hits total, with their last 16 batters retired in order to end the game.

Loyola Marymount struck first in the top of the third. Jack Wall singled and scored on an RBI double by Zach Will. Santa Clara answered in the bottom half, tying the game on an RBI single by Michael Cleary that scored JonJon Rayment, who had singled and stolen second.

The Broncos had taken an initial lead in the second inning on a solo home run by designated hitter Tate Medicoff. Loyola Marymount’s other run came in the sixth when first baseman Zach Wadas hit a solo homer off Broncos reliever Cooper Lanz.

Santa Clara’s bullpen was the story after the fourth inning. Following starter Jackson Cook, who allowed two runs on two hits over three innings, Josh Johnson, Lanz and Hunter Hargett delivered six scoreless innings of relief. Johnson struck out three in two perfect frames, Lanz allowed one hit and struck out three over three innings to earn the win, and Hargett pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

For Loyola Marymount, reliever Jake Geis provided a bright spot, tossing three perfect innings with one strikeout after replacing Behrens. Matt Moreno added a scoreless eighth. Behrens took the loss, surrendering four runs on seven hits over four innings.

The Lions’ offense struggled to sustain rallies, hitting into two double plays and having two runners caught stealing.

The victory gave Santa Clara a series win heading into Sunday’s finale. The game’s outcome was closely aligned with the pregame projection from Interstat, whose simulator had forecast a 5-4 Santa Clara win. The Broncos’ ELO probability to win was 53.20 percent.

Both teams are scheduled to conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Stephen Schott Stadium.