March 24, 2009
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Santa Clara softball team was swept by No. 24 Cal Poly Tuesday afternoon at Bob Janssen Field in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Broncos battled the top-25 Mustangs in the first game of the doubleheader. After being down 3-0 in the bottom of the first, SCU rallied back with seven straight runs in the second through fourth innings. CP responded with seven runs of their own to hand Santa Clara a 10-7 loss. The Broncos (5-23) could not bounce back in the second game of the day, as they fell 9-1.
Senior captain Noelani Ho'opi'i had a solid all-around outing for SCU in the first game of the day. The Bronco first baseman led the Santa Clara lineup at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run. Down 3-0 in the top of the second, she singled to first base to score runners on second and third. She then stole second and advanced to third off a Nicole Picard single. Ho'opi'i crossed home off a Mustang error, to round out her three-run offensive stint. Freshman Briana Knight rounded out the scoring inning with her first triple of the season. The outfielder, who had a hit and a RBI in the game, scored Picard to give SCU a 4-3 lead.
Santa Clara backed up their four-run inning with two additional runs in the third. Megan Smith doubled to left center to score Catherine Surane, who reached first after getting hit by a pitch. M. Smith went 1-for 3 with two runs and a RBI in the game. The next batter, Jackie Nicora singled down the right field line to score M. Smith.
Concluding the Bronco scoring slew was Surane, who doubled to left field to score Jenna Fong. Surane went 1-for-3, with a run and a RBI in the game. After keeping CP scoreless for three innings, the Mustangs responded with seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings to prevent SCU from earning their sixth win of the season.
In the second game of the doubleheader the Broncos fell 9-1 in five innings. Santa Clara's offense was halted against Cal Poly, as they only posted three hits to the Mustangs 16. In the third, Nicora had a single down the right field line, for SCU's first hit of the game. The following inning, Kristin Welsh led off at the plate with a single up the middle and advanced to second off a Jeanine Ruffoni ground out. Two batters later Ho'opi'i, who went 1-for-2, singled to center field to score Welsh. She tallied three RBIs on the day.
Santa Clara looks to bounce back into the win column on Wednesday, March 25. They travel to UC Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for noon.
