SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball lost to Princeton by a final of 4-0 on Saturday afternoon. The Broncos are now 3-16 on the season while the Tigers are now 2-6.
Santa Clara returns to the field tomorrow, Sun., March 16 at 10 a.m. vs. Princeton at San Jose State.
Ciara Gonzales (1-6) started for Santa Clara and picked up a loss in the complete game. Gonzales allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Stephanie Fisher was 2-4 with a double to lead the offense. Chiara Biagini was 2-3 while Krista Jensen took two walks.
Erica Nori (1-1) started for Princeton and picked up a win in the complete game. Nori allowed seven hits, three walks, and had three strikeouts. Marissa Reynolds was 2-3 with a double, a triple, a run scored, and two RBI to lead the offense. Cara Worden was 1-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Libby Crowe was 1-3 with a double and a run scored.
Santa Clara threatened in the bottom of the first when Fisher led off the inning with a double and Rochelle Rivera followed with an infield single to third to put runners on the corners. Nori came back and got the next three outs without a run coming across.
Princeton struck in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Reynolds doubled to left-center and Sarah McGowan reached on an error to put runners on second and third. After a groundout, Skye Jerpbak hit a sac fly to bring in the run.
Geenamarie Bonilla led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to center and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Jensen drew a walk and after the next two went down, another wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Biagini grounded out to third to end the inning with the Broncos still trailing 1-0.
After the first batter was retired in the top of the fifth, the next two batters reached. Gonzales got a strikeout for the second out of the inning but Worden came through with an RBI single to right and Reynolds tripled in two more runs before the inning ended with the score 4-0.
Biagini singled to start the bottom of the seventh and pinch-runner Taylor Bojorquez moved to second on a wild pitch. After a groundout, Fisher singled to right to put runners on the corners but the next two batters went down to end the game.
