March 4, 2007
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara softball team got day three of the 2007 Bronco Stampede underway against the University of Connecticut. Freshman Kaitlyn Rauschnot started the game but UCONN had a few strong at-bats early in the game, giving them a lead too large for the Broncos to overcome.
In the top of the second inning, Rauschnot gave up the deep fly to Holly Calcagno to get the Huskies on the board. Then in the very next inning, Rauschnot gave up another solo shot to Danielle Del Ponte before Calcagno hit a two run blast over the fence two batters later to give UCONN a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Broncos flexed their own muscles when junior Jackie Morales sent one high over the left field fence.
But in the fifth, Lauren Passafuime, who had replaced Rauschnot ran into some trouble and issued three consecutive walks before being replaced by Sara Overmier. A single, a wild pitch and an error allowed three more runs to score, extending the lead to 7-1.
Again, the Broncos fought back, and in the bottom of the sixth, they got three of their own. Consecutive singles by Nicole Picard, Alyc Kalamaha and Ashley Blier got a rally started. With Picard on first base, Kalamaha sent a blast to the wall in right centerfield where Del Ponte misplayed the ball at the fence and then lost her feet, allowing Picard to score from first base, and sending Kalamaha to third. A wild pitch then scored Kalamaha from third to clear the bases. After a single by Blier, UCONN pitcher Tricia Sullivan was replaced by Kristina Tolles. Three consecutive illegal pitches sent Blier all the way around the bases, to narrow the lead to 7-4.
Tolles was replaced immediately, and that was as close as the Broncos would get. Strong defense by the Broncos kept UCONN off the bases, and strong pitching by UCONN limited the Broncos to only a sixth inning double by Angela Kabanuck as the Broncos picked up their second consecutive loss to UCONN, and fell to 1-19.