SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball was swept by BYU in a doubleheader Friday evening by scores of 9-2 and 5-3. With the second win, the Cougars clinched the regular season West Coast Conference Championship.
Game 1
BYU (29-23, 12-2 WCC) used a trio of three-run innings to pull away from the Broncos (15-34, 7-7 WCC) after falling behind early. The big blows were a bases clearing double by Erin Miklus in the second and a three-run shot by Mari Chavez in the fifth.
Miklus finished with a pair of hits and a run scored with Chavez scoring a pair of runs. Taylei Williams and Lexi Tarrow also added two hits each with Tarrow scoring twice and Williams knocking in a run.
Autumn Moffat (12-10) went the distance to pick up the win. She allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
A one-out double by Sammy Needham in the first gave Santa Clara an early lead and after the first three-run inning for BYU, Emma Bickford led off the second with a home run to make it a one run game.
Needham collected two hits and Eleni Spirakis added two hits, a walk, and a run scored.
Regan Dias (9-9) took the loss while tossing a complete game. She allowed nine runs, seven earned, on nine hits with four walks and a strikeout.
Game 2
Three home runs, including a pair from Emilee Erickson, gave the Cougars all their offense and it proved to be just enough to hold off a seventh inning rally from Santa Clara.
Morgan Modesto got Santa Clara on the board with an RBI double down the left field line in the seventh and a squeeze by Dias later in the frame made it 5-2. Sammy Needham kept the offense going with an RBI single that scored Eleni Spirakis but Arissa Paulson would shut the door.
Paulson (14-10) went the distance, allowing three runs six hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
With two outs in the fourth, BYU got back-to-back singles after Aubree Kim had retired the first 11 in the game. Erickson followed with a three-run home run to also end the shutout and make it 3-0.
Erickson added her second of the game along with a bomb from Libby Sugg in the sixth that made it a 5-0 game.
In the circle, Kim (1-8) started and took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
UP NEXT
The season wraps-up as the Broncos and Cougars play at 11 a.m. for Senior Day. Morgan Modesto, Kelsie Barnard, and Jordan Dawkins will be honored in a pregame ceremony
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