SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball beat Illinois-Chicago 4-2 but fell to South Dakota 6-4 Saturday on the second day of the Santa Clara Invitational.
Game 1
Santa Clara's (2-7) defense betrayed it in the first game of the day as the Broncos committed five errors.
With the game tied 3-all, a leadoff double by Christy Warnock in the top of the sixth led to a run when the next batter singled and the Broncos committed an error allowing her to come around to score. Another error brought in the second run of the inning and Shelby Keil made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly.
Five different Coyotes picked up two hits each while Keil had two RBIs and Morgan Vasa scored two runs.
In the bottom of the seventh, Taylor Burns knocked in a run and brought the winning run to the plate in Santa Clara's best hitter Morgan Modesto but she went down swinging to end the game.
Megan Green (2-1) went 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen to pick up the win. She allowed one run on three hits with two strikeouts. Rachel Cue got her first save of the season.
After the Coyotes (5-6) scored three times in the top of the first, Santa Clara tied the game with a run in the second and two in the third. Geenamarie Bonilla led off the second with a double and came in on a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly. In the third, Kimberly Goulart and Ellie Fisher led off the frame with walks and both stole a base in the inning. Goulart scored on another Bronco sac fly and Fisher came in on Morgan Modesto's RBI single.
Goulart led the Santa Clara offense with a pair of hits and walk while also scoring a run. Ellie Fisher was 1-2 with two walks and two runs scored while four Broncos had one RBI each.
Ciara Gonzalez (0-2) got the loss in 5-plus innings. She allowed four unearned runs on eight hits with two walks.
Game 2
Geenamarie Bonilla came through in the bottom of the sixth to put Santa Clara (3-7) on top 4-2. An infield single to the right side let both runners come around to score what would be the winning runs.
Bonilla finished the game 2-3 with two RBIs. Morgan Modesto had a double and a walk and scored two runs while Kelsie Barnard added a double and two RBIs.
Aubree Kim (2-2) got the win in two no-hit innings out of the bullpen. She struck out two and walked one. McCall James (0-0) started for Santa Clara and allowed two unearned runs in 5 innings. She gave up five hits and walked four with two strikeouts in the no-decision.
"This was a total team effort," Santa Clara head coach Lisa Mize said. "McCall pitched really well for us and Aubree came in and did the same. Geena came through with the clutch hit. I'm really proud of the team.
With two down and runners on the corners in the bottom of the second, Barnard came through with a two-run double down the left field line to give Santa Clara an early 2-0 lead.
The Flames tied the score in the top of the fifth. A groundball to second with runners on second and third was botted allowing the first run to come across. An infield single accounted for the next run but the Broncos got out of the inning when the back runner was gunned down trying to score from second.
Lexi Watts led UIC on offense and was 2-4 with a run scored. Jasmine Willis was 1-3 and scored a run while Savannah Soppet had a hit and an RBI.
Allie Trudeau (1-1) went the distance but picked up the loss. She allowed four runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
The Broncos close out the Santa Clara Invitational tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. vs. Weber State.
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