SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Santa Clara softball beat San Diego by a final of 5-4 on Sunday. The Broncos are now 14-29 on the season and 4-5 in WCC play while the Toreros are now 28-18 and 7-2 in conference action.
Santa Clara returns to the field Sat., April 25 at 12 and 2 p.m. vs. Pacific.
Ciara Gonzales (11-13) started for Santa Clara and picked up a win in the complete game. Gonzales allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits. Geenamarie Bonilla was 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the offense. Amanda Delfino was 2-4 with a run and an RBI while Ellie Fisher was 2-4 with a run scored.
Paige von Sprecken (21-8) started for San Diego and picked up a loss in 1.0-plus innings. von Sprecken allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits with two walks and a strikeout. Kailey Hill was 4-4 with a run scored to lead the offense. Caitlin Rooney was 2-3 with a triple and an RBI while Tatum Schultz was 1-2 with a double and an RBI.
The Broncos jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Defino singled with one down and moved to third on a two out single. Kimberly Goulart knocked in the first run with a single to right.
The Toreros answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Olivia Sandusky led off with an infield single and moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Hill brought in the first run with a single and made it to second on an error. Another error put runners on the corners for Chloe Kaneko who singled in a run. Rooney came up with a triple down the right field line to make it 3-1.
Santa Clara retook the lead with four runs in the top of the second. The first three batters reached in the inning and Delfino kept the line moving with an RBI single to left. Bonilla singled up the middle to bring in two more runs and put Santa Clara back on top. Breezy Bernard reached on a fielder's choice to knock in the fourth run of the inning, this one off new San Diego pitcher Grace Hernandez.
The score remained the same until a one out RBI double by Schultz in the bottom of the sixth made it a one run game.
Gonzales allowed a one out single in the bottom of the seventh but came back to get the final two outs of the inning to close out the win.
