March 25, 2009
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara softball team dropped a pair of games at UC Santa Barbara Wednesday afternoon. In the early game of the doubleheader, SCU was held to just two hits in a 6-0 shutout. In the second game at Campus Diamond, the Broncos could only score two runs in a 7-2 loss. SCU falls to 5-25 on the season, while the Gauchos improve to 16-12.
In the 6-0 first game loss, SCU's offense could not get ignited against the Santa Barbara defense. Down 2-0 in the third inning, Santa Clara second baseman Megan Smith led off at the plate. Smith, who went 1-for-3, hit a double to left field for the Broncos first hit in the game. Santa Clara posted their second and final hit of the game in the top of the fifth, following a UCSB four-run fourth inning. With two outs and a runner on first, sophomore Jackie Nicora singled up the middle to conclude the Broncos offensive scoring attempt.
In the second game of the doubleheader, sophomore Amanda Edmonson led the Bronco offense. After 11 scoreless innings the SCU third baseman doubled to right field for a two-RBI hit. The lone Santa Clara scoring inning prevented a second shutout on the day, as SCU fell 7-2 in the contest.
While the Broncos' offense was once again kept at bay by the Gaucho defense, they were much more active at the plate. Santa Clara tallied seven hits to UCSB's 11. M. Smith went 2-for-3 at the plate with two singles, and Noelani Ho'opi'i, Briana Knight, Nicole Picard and Catherine Surane each tallied a hit apiece in the game.
Bronco pitcher Kaitlyn Rauschnot suffered her 13th loss of the season in the early game and sophomore Jenna Fong fell to 3-9 on the mound in the second game.
Santa Clara remains on the road for their next six games. They return to the South Bay to take on local rival San Jose State in a doubleheader on March 31. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. They then head to Portland, Ore. to open up conference play at Portland State. They will take on PSU in two doubleheaders on April 4 and 5.
