STOCKTON, Calif. – Santa Clara softball and Pacific split the West Coast Conference opening doubleheader on Saturday afternoon with the Broncos taking the first game 8-2 followed by a Tigers 9-3 win to close out the day.
GAME 1: Santa Clara 8 - Pacific 2
Santa Clara scored eight unanswered runs, including three RBIs by Lauren LaHood, and Regan Dias tossed five strong innings to defeat Pacific 8-2 in the first game of the doubleheader.
Dias scattered six hits, allowed two runs, struck out three and did not issue a walk but got off to a shaky start in the circle for the Broncos (15-21, 1-0 WCC) allowing two runs on three hits in the opening frame. Reagan Hamilton had the big hit in the inning with a two-RBI double to put the Tigers (10-25, 0-1 WCC) up 2-0.
Santa Clara answered with three runs in the top of the second against Tigers starter Vanessa Strong to take a 3-2 lead that it would not relinquish. In the inning, LaHood was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to push a run across. With the bases full still, Ashley Trierweiler followed with a two-RBI single through the left side to put the Broncos up by a run.
Dias (3-7) settled down and combined with reliever Lauren Anderson, the Broncos did not allow another run the rest of the way.
The Broncos added three runs in the fourth to push the lead out to 6-2. The big hit of the inning came courtesy of LaHood who doubled in two runs.
SCU tacked on two more runs in the fifth on an RBI grounder by Morgan Salmon and an RBI single by Cameron McGinnis.
Strong (4-7) was the losing pitcher allowing six runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Allyson Ferreira and Dias each had two hits.
GAME 2: Pacific 9 - Santa Clara 3
In the backend of the doubleheader, it was Pacific's turn to go on a scoring run, putting up nine-straight runs for a 9-3 comeback win over Santa Clara softball.
The Broncos (15-22, 1-1 WCC) jumped to an early 3-0 lead against Tigers starter Amiyah Aponte in the third. SCU tallied five hits and got a two-RBI single by Emma Bickford followed by an RBI double by Sammy Needham to score three runs.
However, Pacific (11-25, 1-1 WCC) responded with five runs in the home half of the third with a pair of two-RBI doubles by Bethany Hammer and Delaney Scully. Hammer went 4-for-4 in the game with two runs and two RBIs and Scully had four RBIs on two hits. The Tigers banged out 14 hits.
The Tigers scored two runs each in the fourth and the sixth innings for the final margin of victory.
Aponte went the distance, allowed seven hits and three runs, walked two and struck two to improve to 4-4 on the year.
Regan Dias once again started in the circle for the Broncos and allowed five runs on eight hits to take the loss (3-8).
Lauren LaHood went 2-for-3 as the only Bronco with multiple hits.
NEXT UP
The Broncos and the Tigers close out the series on Sunday at noon.
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