March 6, 2009
MANOA, Hawai'i -- The Santa Clara softball team posted their second win of the season over Mount Saint Mary's Friday afternoon at day two of the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament. Sophomore pitcher Jenna Fong earned her first career win on the mound against MSM. The Sacramento, Calif. native pitched all seven innings, throwing four strikeouts, and allowing only two hits and one run in 27 batters faced. Fong has been a constant force for the Broncos defense, appearing in 10 contests and starting six. She's tallied 17 strikeouts in 41.1 innings pitched.
"Jenna pitched a solid game," said head coach Lisa Mize. "She hit her spots and owned each batter the entire game."
The SCU offense had an all-around strong outing, tallying nine hits to the Mountaineers two. The Bronco bats were solid in Santa Clara's dominating win, which broke a seven game losing streak. Briana Knight tallied a hit, a RBI and a run in the effort, and Megan Smith accrued two runs, a hit and a RBI. Shortstop Jeanine Ruffoni had a hit and a RBI, and Nicole Picard had two hits and a run.
At the plate, catcher Emily Batt led the Santa Clara offense with three hits, a RBI and a run. After four scoreless innings, Batt led off the SCU scoring in the top of the fifth, with a home run and a RBI to get the Broncos on the board. It was Batt's first homer of the season. Two batters later, freshman Knight doubled to left field to score the outfielders ninth RBI of the season. With a, 2-0, lead, transfer Smith extended the Bronco scoring run with a single up the middle to bring home Knight. Smith came home to score Santa Clara's fourth straight run off a Ruffoni ground out to second, after she advanced to third on a wild pitch during Ruffoni's at bat.
In the bottom of the sixth Mount Saint Mary's responded with their lone run of the game, only for the Broncos to score their fifth run of the game in the top of the seventh. Smith opened up the seventh with a walk and then stole second. Ruffoni then reached on a Mountaineers throwing error two batters later, scoring Smith.
In their second game of the day against Radford, Santa Clara could not extend their winning ways, as they fell, 5-3. SCU was down, 5-0, until their final offensive chance in the seventh inning. In a comeback attempt, the Broncos fell short two runs, scoring three times in the bottom half of the final inning of play.
While the SCU was unable to stay in the win column, their second solid outing was led by Knight who tallied two hits, a RBI and a run. Knight hit two RBIs on the day, tallying 10 on the season. Fong and pitch hitter Christine Prochnow had a Bronco hit apiece, and Smith hit her second RBI of the season.
After splitting results on Friday, SCU, 2-11 overall, will take on Oregon State at 11 a.m. PT on Saturday, March 7.
