Softball Splits To Open Fresno State Invitational

Softball Splits To Open Fresno State Invitational

FRESNO, Calif. – Santa Clara softball split with CSU Bakersfield and Fresno State Saturday afternoon at the Fresno State Invitational. The Broncos (8-19) topped the Roadrunners (11-15) 10-8 and fell to the Bulldogs (19-11) 12-4 in six innings.

Game 1
CSU Bakersfield stormed back to tie the game at 8-all with four runs in the sixth but Santa Clara responded in the bottom of the frame with the winning runs.

The big hit was a double by Emma Bickford that brought home Taylor Burns. Morgan Modesto followed with an RBI single to give the Broncos an insurance run.

Russell finished the game with three hits and added four RBIs to lead the offense. Modesto was 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored and Eleni Spirakis added a pair of hits and scored three runs.

Lauren Anderson (2-7) got the win in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Regan Dias started and allowed eight runs, five earned, on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in 5 1/3 innings.

The four run sixth for the Roadrunners benefited from a pair of bases loaded errors with no outs. Pinch-hitter Katie Jackson came through with the big hit, a single through the left side that tied score.

Chris Hipa led the Bakersfield offense with two hits, including a two-run home run in the first, and two runs scored. Nicole Curry also added two hits with two runs scored and an RBI.

Hipa (0-1) got the loss in an inning out of the bullpen. She allowed two runs on two hits with a walk. Starter Daryn Hitzel lasted 3 innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on five hits with a strikeout.

After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first, Santa Clara scored two in the bottom of the frame and scored at least once in each half inning.

Game 2
The first four Fresno State batters reached to start the bottom of the second en route to a five-run inning. The Bulldogs would add another in the fourth and end the game with a six spot in the sixth.

Miranda Rodleder led the charge going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI with Rachel Minogue adding a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Schuyler Broussard also had three RBIs, as did Kelcey Carrasco who hit a walk-off three-run home run.

Danielle Lung (7-1) got the win with 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing an unearned run on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Danielle East started and went 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts.

Santa Clara got on the board in the fourth when Russell doubled in two runs with one out in the top of the fourth. Kelsie Barnard added an RBI single later in the inning to cut the deficit to 5-3.

Spirakis and Dias both added two hits and a run scored out of the top two spots in the Broncos lineup with Dias also driving in a run.

Anderson (2-8) lasted 5 1/3 innings in the start and took the loss. She allowed nine runs on 11 hits with six walks.

UP NEXT
Santa Clara faces Bakersfield at 10 a.m. and Fresno State at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow.

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