Rebel Classic Tournament Central
LAS VEGAS – On the second day of the Rebel Classic, Santa Clara softball (5-17) fell to DePaul (6-14) 8-5 and Utah State (8-10) 8-3 on Saturday afternoon.
Game 1
The big blow for DePaul was a four-run inning in the second. A home run and two doubles started the inning before McCall James had a chance to get comfortable in the circle.
After a groundout and a walk, Micaela Vierra entered to pitch for the Broncos.
An RBI groundout and a single would bring in two more runs and put the Blue Demons up 6-1.
James (2-8) started for Santa Clara and went 1 1/3 innings. She allowed six runs on five hits with a walk.
With Kimberly Goulart on second and two down in the top of the fifth, Kelsie Barnard blasted a home run to get the Broncos within 7-3.
Goulart hit a two-run homer of her own in the top of the sixth to make the score 7-5 but DePaul would add an insurance run in the bottom of the inning.
Barnard had three RBIs on the day and Goulart scored two runs.
Morgan Maize (5-8) went the distance for DePaul and allowed five runs on eight hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
Maize was 3-4 with a home run and for RBIs. Micah Fitzgerald scored a pair of runs and four Blue Demons each added one RBI.
Game 2
For the second time Santa Clara was hurt by a four-run inning. After a leadoff walk to Sydney Hart in the top of the second, Victoria Saucedo hit a two-run homer to left field. With two down Kirstyn Namba hit the Aggies' second two-run home run of the inning to go on top 4-0.
The Broncos cut their deficit to 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth go give them some hope. Chiara Biagini singled up the middle with one out and Morgan Modesto followed with a triple to bring in Biagini. Modest would score on an error on the same play.
Two insurance runs for Utah State put the game away in the top of the seventh.
Vierra (3-9) tossed a complete game and allowed eight runs on 10 hits with three walks and three strikeouts for Santa Clara.
Modest was 2-3 with a run scored and Biagini added a hit and a run scored as well.
April Brown (4-3) got the win in the complete game for Utah State. She allowed three unearned runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Saucedo led the offense with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Namba had a triple, a home run, and two RBIs while Alleyah Armendariz scored two runs and added an RBI.
Santa Clara returns to action tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. vs. Wisconsin and 1:30 p.m. vs. Valparaiso.
