SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Kicking off the final weekend of the season, Santa Clara softball fell to BYU by a final of 4-0 and 5-0. The Broncos are now 15-34 on the season and 4-10 in the WCC while the Cougars are now 36-10 and 11-0 in conference play. The win in game two clinched the WCC title for BYU.
Santa Clara returns to the field tomorrow, Sat., May 2 at 12 p.m. vs. BYU for Senior Day.
Game 1
Ciara Gonzales (12-15) started for Santa Clara and picked up a loss in 5.0-plus innings. Gonzales allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits. Ashley Haney was 2-3 to lead the offense. Ellie Fisher had two walks and a stolen base while Jordan Newell was 1-3.
McKenna Bull (31-7) started for BYU and picked up a win in the complete game. Bull allowed three hits with four walks and nine strikeouts. Ashley Thompson was 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI to lead the offense. McKenzie St. Claire was 1-1 with two RBI while Sydney Broderick was 1-3 with an RBI.
Gordy Bravo led off the game with a single to right. After a fielder's choice put Lauren Bell on first, a bunt single by Mercedes O'Connor and single up the middle by Thompson made it 1-0 Cougars. After O'Connor stole third, she came in to score on an RBI groundout. St. Claire kept the inning going with a two out RBI single to left to make it 3-0.
Casandra Padilla walked with one out in the second but was erased on a fielder's choice that put Chiara Biagini on first. Haney singled to right with two outs but the Broncos couldn't bring in a run.
A one out single and an error put two runners in scoring position for BYU in the top of the third. A sac fly by St. Claire gave BYU a 4-0 lead.
Newell started the bottom of the fourth with a single through the left side. With two down Haney singled for the second time but the Broncos couldn't capitalize.
The Broncos went down in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Game 2
Micaela Vierra (0-3) started for Santa Clara and picked up a loss in 4.2 innings. Vierra allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits with six walks and two strikeouts. Biagini was 1-2 with a double to lead the offense while Padilla was 2-3.
Thompson (4-1) started for BYU and picked up a win in the complete game. Thompson allowed three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Thompson was 1-2 with a double, two walks, and a run scored to lead the offense. Alexa Strid was 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI while Broderick had a walk, a run scored, and an RBI.
The game started with a walk to Bravo and a bunt single by Bell. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up and a walk loaded the bases. A comebacker wasn't fielded cleanly to let the first run come in.
Biagini hit a one out double to right center for the Broncos' first base runner of the game. With two down Fisher drew a walk but Santa Clara couldn't get on the board.
The first pitch of the fourth was hit into center for a base hit by Lacey Hofstedt. She stole second on the next pitch and moved to third on a sac bunt. Bell laid down a squeeze to make it 2-0 Cougars.
Thompson doubled off the wall in right to lead off the fifth and Broderick followed with a walk. Both runners moved up on a bunt and another squeeze brought in the third run of the game. An infield single by Alexa Strid off Vierra made the score 4-0. Strid stole second and third and a walk to Hofstedt put runners on the corners. McCall James came in to face the top of the order. Hofstedt took off for second and a bad throw left another run come in.
Padilla started the home half of the fifth with a single past the third baseman. A great snag on a liner by the pitcher for the second out prevented Padilla from advancing any further.
Padilla started the seventh with a single to left and was lifted for pinch runner Kimberly Goulart. The next three Broncos went down in order to give BYU the WCC championship.
