RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Broncos dropped a tight 4-3 decision to Brown, then lost a 10-inning affair with Colorado State 3-2 at the UCR Tournament Friday.
Santa Clara (4-23) took a 3-2 lead in the third inning in its opener with Brown (3-8), sparked by singles by Alyssa Jepsen, Jamie Wallis and Kelly Scribner, which loaded up the bases. RBI at-bats followed from Briana Knight, Breezy Bernard and Jenna Krummen.
The Broncos five-hit, three-run third inning erased an early 2-0 deficit. Brown first baseman Kate Strobel had hit a two-run double to centerfield in the first inning off SCU starter Jessica Turner.
Lefty reliever Briana Rios was called upon after Turner had faced just four batters and went on to allow just one run in three-plus innings, leaving with the game tied after she had run into a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fourth. Freshman classmate Jaymi Bautista-Geiger (0-6) came in and induced a inning-ending grounder to preserve the 3-3 tie heading into the final innings.
SCU put runners on base in the fourth, fifth and six innings but could not generate a go-ahead run. Brown was able to push in the eventual game-winner in the top of the seventh after a leadoff triple from Stephanie Thompson set up the next batter, Strobel, for an RBI opportunity and a single up the middle was enough to get home Thompson and put Brown up 4-3.
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SCU dropped a marathon 10-inning decision Colorado State 3-2 Friday evening. With the game tied 2-2 going into extras, clutch pitching from sophomore Jessica Turner (1-6) and a game-saving outfield assist from Rochelle Rivera turned CSU away in the bottom of the eighth and ninth, but Shae Rodriquez drove in the winning run for the Rams with an RBI-double in the tenth.
Turner worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth with a strike out and an inning-ending fly out to keep the game even. In the ninth, Turner got some help from Rivera, who gunned down the possible winning run at home plate.
The pitching and defense allowed Santa Clara chances to go up in the top halves of the eighth and ninth, but double-play balls killed possible game-changing rallies and gave the edge back to CSU.
With the lead runner sacrificed over to third base in the tenth, Rodriquez doubled home the winning run with one out to turn away Santa Clara by the slimmest of margins.
Tournament action has SCU playing single games the next two days, facing Brown and 9 a.m. Saturday and tournament host UC Riverside Sunday at 2 p.m.
2012 UCR TOURNAMENT
Friday-Sunday, March 23-25 – Amy S. Harrison Field (Riverside, Calif.)
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
Friday
Colorado State 1, Brown 0 - FINAL
Brown 4, Santa Clara 3 - FINAL
Colorado State 3, Santa Clara 2 (10) - FINAL
Saturday
Santa Clara vs. Brown 9:00 a.m.
UC Riverside vs. Colorado State 11:30 a.m.
UC Riverside vs. Brown 2:00 p.m.
Sunday
Colorado State vs. Brown 9:00 a.m.
UC Riverside vs. Colorado State 11:30 a.m.
UC Riverside vs. Santa Clara 2:00 p.m.
