SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Santa Clara softball bats lifted the Broncos to a sweep of San Diego on the road Saturday afternoon, beating the Toreros by scores of 6-2 and 11-3 in 6 innings.

Game 1
Santa Clara (14-32, 6-5 WCC) rallied for three two out runs in the first two innings to take a 3-0 lead that would hold up.

In the first, Sammy Needham was hit by a pitch to start the rally and three consecutive singles followed to make it 2-0. The second started with two outs before Eleni Spirakis tripled and came in on a throwing error.

Kelsie Barnard finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the offense while Hannah Russell added a pair of hits and a run scored with Allyson Ferreira also adding a two of hits and two RBIs.

Regan Dias (8-8) went 6 innings and got the win, allowing two runs on 10 hits with a walk. Lauren Schiek finished it off with a perfect seventh.

The Broncos looked to extended their lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth but San Diego  (19-26, 3-8 WCC) responded both times to keep it a three-run game at 5-2.

Lauren Kane had three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI with Sophia Bjerk adding two hits, a run scored, and an RBI as well. Sara SIlveyra also collected two hits for the Toreros.

Delaney Heller (10-9) started and went 4 innings while taking the loss she allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Game 2
For the second game in a row, the Broncos jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to see San Diego come back.

After the Toreros tied the score with a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth, Santa Clara sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth and scored six runs to retake the lead 9-3 before adding two more in the sixth.

Spirakis, Needham, and Ferreira all drove in two runs with Spirakis and Ferreira also scoring a run. Emma Bickford went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored and Jordan Dawkins, Russell, and Barnard all added two hits apiece.

Schiek (3-5) went 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on six hits, for the win. Lauren Anderson started for Santa Clara and allowed three hits and two walks with a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings while picking up a no-decision.

The three-run fourth for San Diego started when Kelli Kufta led off with a single and Kane followed with a two-run home run to left center. After the Toreros loaded the bases with no outs, Schiek got out of the jam with just one more run coming across on a Silveyra sacrifice fly.

Evans and Kufta both picked up two hits to pace the Toreros offense with five others adding a single hit each.

Madison Earnshaw (5-11) started and took the loss, tossing 4 2/3 innings. She allowed eight runs on eight hits with five walks and three strikeouts.

UP NEXT
Santa Clara goes for the sweep tomorrow at noon.

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