Santa Clara, Calif. – Broncos' pitcher Carissa Theis allowed just three hits in her second sterling pitching performance in two days, but the Broncos failed to score and dropped the second game of a doubleheader 1-0 to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday.
The Gauchos also won the first game, 10-1, behind a 12-hit attack. Santa Clara falls to 3-20 on the season while UCSB improves to 19-8.
Theis (1-7) allowed just three hits tossing a complete game with a walk and two strikeouts, one day after blanking the Gauchos on five hits over eight innings.
One of the hits, however, was a leadoff homerun by Keilani Jennings, her fifth of the season, in the second inning accounting for the only run of the game.
Three of Santa Clara's four hits in the game came during the third inning when the Broncos mounted their only threat. With one out Rochelle Rivera, Stephanie Fisher and Jordan Newell hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Kelly Scribner then hit a sharp one-hop line drive to third that Jessica Reichner turned into a 5-2-3 double play.
The Broncos failed to get a baserunner the remainder of the game.
The Gauchos took game one 10-1 in six innings behind a 12-hit attack and a stellar pitching effort by Andriana Collins.
Fisher paced the Broncos offensive attack collecting two hits and scoring their only run. She drilled a one-out triple to deep left center in the sixth and scored one out later on a double by Kelly Scribner.
Fisher opened the bottom of the first for Santa Clara with a sharp single to center, the only hit allowed by Collins, but was erased on a fielders choice grounder. Collins then retired 15 of the next 16 Santa Clara batters before leaving the game after 5.0 innings pitched.
Collins (4-1) earned the victory in game one and pitched two perfect innings in game two for her first save of the year. She pitched 7.0 innings on the day allowing one hit to the first batter she faced.
Briana Rios (1-3) took the loss for the Broncos giving up five hits and three runs in 4.0 innings. Jessica Turner tossed the final 2.0 innings allowing seven hits and three earned runs.
The Broncos take the field on March 23 and 24 in the University of Nevada Tournament in Reno where they will take on Idaho State and Nevada. They return to SCU Softball Field on March 29 to open PCSC play against LMU. The four-game series features two doubleheaders.
