PROVO, Utah – Starting the final road series of the year, Santa Clara softball dropped a pair of games to BYU on Friday evening. The Broncos fell 4-3 and 15-4 in five innings.
The Cougars would hit six home runs in the two games to lead their offense and add to their WCC lead.
Game 1
After Santa Clara mounted a three-run comeback, BYU's third bomb of the night, this one from Ashley Thompson in the bottom of the fifth, put the Cougars up for good at 4-3.
BYU (31-18, 8-2 WCC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind back-to-back home runs from Libby Sugg and Alexa Strid and the WCC's top offense looked like it was ready to run away with the game.
McCall James (4-18) would settled down, however, and allow just one more run over the next 5 innings but still got the loss. She allowed four runs on seven hits with six walks and three strikeouts.
Santa Clara (8-38, 3-7 WCC) made its comeback and tied the game in the top of the fourth with a three-spot. The Broncos sent seven batters to the plate and got RBIs from Casandra Padilla and Morgan Modesto.
McKenna Bull (24-11) tossed a complete game and picked up the win. She allowed three runs on eight hits with four walks and 12 strikeouts.
Game 2
After the game went back and forth with four lead changes in the first two innings, BYU (32-18, 9-2 WCC) blew the game open with five runs in the bottom of the third to go up 10-4.
Micaela Vierra (4-19) started for Santa Clara and got the loss in the 2-plus innings. She allowed 10 runs, six earned, on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
After a triple by Amanda Delfino in the top of the first gave Santa Clara (8-39, 3-8 WCC) a short-lived 1-0 lead, Sugg came back in the bottom of the frame with her second home run of the day. This one was a three-run shot that put BYU on top 3-1.
Geenamarie Bonilla would answer with a three-run blast of her own in the top of the second to knock in Kelsie Barnard and Modesto and put the Broncos back on top 4-3.
Olivia Sanchez (7-7) came in to replace BYU starter Bull after Bonilla's home run and got out of the inning without any more runs coming across.
BYU scored twice in the home half of the second behind a two-out rally that put the Cougars on top 5-4 and got Sanchez the win.
Santa Clara returns to action tomorrow at 11 a.m. PDT in the series finale.
