Feb. 12, 2005
DAVIS, Calif. - The Santa Clara University softball team used key two-run innings in both games as the Broncos beat UC Davis 3-2 and 3-1 in a non-conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at La Rue Field.
UC Davis fell to 2-9 while Santa Clara ran its winning streak to four games and is 5-5. Carie Brueckner had two hits in the first game for UC Davis while catcher Megan Turman had a pair--including a triple--in the second. Bronco third baseman Vanessa Werner had two hits for the Broncos in the opener while shortstop Shannon Linerud matched the total in the nightcap.
Santa Clara won the first game after UC Davis missed a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, putting the potential game-tying run at third with one out and then loading the bases with two gone.
The Aggies trailed 3-2 heading into their last at-bat of the first game, getting a leadoff single from Brueckner. A sacrifice and a wild pitch moved her to third with one out but Brueckner was cut down at the plate after Linerud fielded Kristin Herrera's grounder at short. A hit by Megan De La Hoya and a fielder's choice by Turman loaded the bases with two out but reliever Sara Overmier struck out Nikki Sheldon to end the game.
Santa Clara took the early lead after Aggie pitcher Lindsay Tognetti, who came on in relief of starter Jessica Hancock with the bases loaded in the third, hit first baseman Kelley Johnson to force in Werner. The Broncos extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth after two UC Davis errors allowed Santa Clara to capitalize on a pair of hits.
Brueckner singled in Hancock in the bottom half of the inning while Herrera singled to right to score Lauren Pieretti to help UC Davis match Santa Clara with two runs of its own.
Jerrica Castagno went 4.1 innings with two strikeouts and a walk to improve her record to 3-2 while Overmier went the rest of the way to pick up her first save. Hancock took the loss for the Aggies, falling to 1-3.
UC Davis jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the nightcap after Turman hit a triple to right-center with one out in the first. Sheldon's sharp liner then bounced off Johnson's glove at first to score Turman. An infield groundout by Jillian Cassel scored a run for Santa Clara in the second before the Broncos tallied a pair of runs off Aggie reliever Stacey Benzing in the sixth after a infield grounder by Jessica Clee and a double to right by Maggie Godfrey.
The Aggies loaded the bases in the sixth after singles by De La Hoya and Turman, and after Sheldon was hit by a pitch from Broncos starter Liz Courter. But Courter got a groundout and a lineout to end the threat.
Courter went the distance for Santa Clara, facing the minimum 12 batters from the second through fifth innings. She had one strikeout and walked none, moving her record to 2-3. Benzing, the third UC Davis pitcher of the game after starter Rachel Kelly and Pieretti, fell to 0-1 with the loss.
The Aggies also fell to 1-5 in one-run games, including three in their past four losses.
Santa Clara remains on the road and will participate in a tournament hosted by San Diego State next weekend.
