LOS ANGELES – With a total of seven long balls hit in two games, Santa Clara softball fell to LMU by finals of 7-5 and 8-0 in five innings on Saturday afternoon in a West Coast Conference matchup.
Game 1
Trailing 4-1 after five innings, Santa Clara (7-33, 2-2 WCC) took a brief 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth after scoring four runs. Geenamarie Bonilla led off the frame with a homer to right center and Justine Garner added a three-run shot with two down.
The Lions (26-19, 4-3 WCC) answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead. Amanda Dirks homer tied the score with one out and Alex Finie singled up the middle three batters later to make it a 6-5 game. A bases loaded walk would add an insurance run.
Stephanie Maciel added a home run and three RBIs as well for the Lions.
McCall James (3-17) went 5 1/3 innings while getting the loss. She allowed seven runs, six earned, on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Hannah Bandimere (14-10) went 1 1/3 innings out of the LMU bullpen to pick up the win. She allowed just one hit with a pair of strikeouts.
Game 2
A six-spot for LMU (27-19, 5-3 WCC) in the third put the Lions in control. All six runs were charged to Micaela Vierra who was pulled with one out in the inning.
Just three of the runs Vierra (4-15) allowed were earned. She also allowed four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
In the fifth, Finie and Aria Pogni blasted solo shots to close out the game.
Casandra Padilla had a double and Chiara Biagini picked up the only other Bronco (7-34, 2-3 WCC) hit.
Bandimere (15-10) went the distance to pick up the win. She allowed two hits with seven punch-outs.
Santa Clara returns to action tomorrow at noon as the two teams wrap up their three game series.
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