March 20, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. -- The Santa Clara softball team was edged 5-4 by Winthrop University, in the first game of play at the Stanford Invitational. After earning a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning, WU responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to prevent Santa Clara from posting their fifth victory of the season. In the second game of the day, SCU was shutout 12-0 by local rival University of Pacific.
The Winthrop Eagles took an immediate 2-0 lead, with runs in the first and the fourth innings. Junior Kaitlyn Rauschnot, who pitched her fourth complete game, posted four scoreless innings in the outing. In the top of the seventh, freshman Catherine Surane led off the inning with a double to left center. Amanda Edmonson followed with a single to left field and Emily Batt reached on a fielder's choice to bring home Surane. The next batters, Noelani Ho'opi'i and Christine Prochnow, each singled to advance Batt to third. Pitch hitter Jenna Fong followed with a hit to center field to score Batt for the two-all tying run. Freshman Briana Knight then blasted a double to left field, scoring Ho'opi'i and Prochnow. Knight had three hits in the game, to lead the Broncos at the plate.
SCU could not bounce back into the win column versus Pacific either, as they fell 12-0 to the Tigers. Rauschnot and Fong split time on the mound in the five inning contest. Right fielder Breann Netto had two hits, a single to the pitcher in the third inning and a single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth. Jackie Nicora had Santa Clara's third and final hit of the game in the third inning. She singled through the right side.
The Broncos, 4-19 overall, continue play at the Stanford Invitational on Saturday, March 21. They will take on hosts No. 4 Stanford at 3:45 p.m. and Princeton at 6 p.m.
