April 10, 2010
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Santa Clara softball team had a disappointing start to the 2010 Pacific Coast Conference season today, dropping a pair of games to Sacramento State on the road. The Broncos fell, 10-3, in the first game and lost the second, 6-2.
In the noon game, Santa Clara was unable to recover from a productive first two innings by the Hornets. Sacramento State scored five runs on four hits and one error in the first inning, recording two doubles, a bunt single, and a three-run homer to establish the early lead.
The Broncos immediately charged back with three runs in the top of the second. Junior Jackie Nicora belted a double with two runners on, scoring junior Amanda Edmonson and putting sophomore Kristin Welsh on third. Sophomore Catherine Surane kept things going with a RBI single and senior Megan Smith executed a sacrifice fly to score Nicora.
Another three-run home run by the Hornets in the bottom of the second stunted the momentum Santa Clara had built and prompted head coach Lisa Mize to make a change in the circle, bringing in freshman Ali Nash in relief of senior Kaitlyn Rauschnot. Nash was helped by the defense to get the final two outs of the inning and stop the flurry of Hornet runs.
Sacramento State got the final two runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting their third home run of the game, a solo, and scoring on a throwing error.
Nash was not charged with the loss and pitched 4.2 innings, only giving up one earned run. Hornet pitcher Megan Schaefer went the complete game and picked up her fourth win of the season.
In the second game, Sac State struck first, taking advantage of two Bronco errors to score one run in the bottom of the second.
Santa Clara came back to tie it in the fourth as leadoff hitter sophomore Briana Knight singled through the left side, reached second on a passed ball, and reached third one a live ball, and scored on a wild pitch.
The Hornets answered in the bottom of the fourth, scoring a run after hitting several singles with one out on the board, then took control of the game in the fifth inning with their third three-run homer of the day as well as another solo shot.
In the sixth inning, the Broncos cut the deficit by one run to make it 6-2 as Edmonson's double scored junior Jenna Fong, but they couldn't keep the rally going and Fong's run turned out to be the final score of the game.
Freshman pitcher Riley McKay went the distance and fell to 1-3 with the loss. Sac State pitcher Shelby Voelz improved to 6-13.
Santa Clara (8-17, 0-2 PCSC) gets a chance to tie the series tomorrow with another doubleheader against the Hornets. First pitch is scheduled for noon.