SANTA CLARA, Calif. – On Senior Day, Santa Clara softball fell to BYU by a final of 8-0 in five innings. The Broncos finish 15-35 on the season and 4-11 in the WCC while the Cougars are 37-10 and 12-0 in conference play.
Briana Rios (1-11) started for Santa Clara and picked up a loss in 2.0 innings. Rios allowed seven runs, three earned, on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Casandra Padilla was 1-2 with a double to lead the offense while Ellie Fisher was 1-2 with a walk.
McKenna Bull (32-7) started for BYU and picked up a win in 5.0 innings. Bull allowed four hits with four strikeouts. Sydney Broderick was 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the offense. Gordy Bravo was 2-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored while Megan Arnold was 1-2 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored.
The game started with three straight singles to load the bases. After a strikeout, Broderick dropped a single into left to bring in the first run of the day. An illegal pitch brought in another run and a walk loaded the bases again. Rios got another strikeout but walked the next batter to make it 3-0. Chiara Biagini and Fisher collided in the outfield on what would have been the third out and the ball was knocked out of Fisher's glove to clear the bases. A pop out finally ended the inning after six runs had scored.
Fisher started the bottom of the first with a single through the left side. The next three batters went down in order to keep the Broncos scoreless.
An error, a base hit, and a hit batter loaded the bases for BYU to start the second. Broderick singled in a run but the runner on second was gunned down trying to score. Rios limited the damage to just one run.
With one down in the bottom of the second Casandra Padilla doubled off the wall in right. Again Santa Clara couldn't capitalize and BYU held on to its 7-0 lead.
With Ciara Gonzales now pitching, Arnold singled to left to start the third. After a ground out moved the runner to third, Bravo doubled to left to make it 8-0.
Ashley Haney hit a one out single in the fifth and Fisher walked with two down. The Broncos couldn't score and the game ended after five.
