SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball split the doubleheader against Saint Mary's in the West Coast Conference home opener on Saturday, taking the first game 6-3 before falling 8-2 in the second game.
GAME 1: Santa Clara 6 - Saint Mary's 3
Santa Clara (17-22, 3-1 WCC) rallied from three runs down to score six unanswered runs in the 6-3 victory over the Gaels (13-24, 2-6 WCC) in game one of the doubleheader.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, back-to-back doubles by Morgan Salmon and Bailey McLaughlin against Gaels starter Sofia Earle brought home the game-tying and game-winning runs. Ashley Trierweiler, who went 3-for-3 with three runs, along with Regan Dias added insurance runs as part of a four-run inning for the Broncos.
Sage Hager had a solid outing in the circle and scattered six hits and three runs, only one earned, and walked one in a complete game victory to move to 7-3 on the year.
The only rough patch for Hager was in the third when she allowed three runs on three hits and a Bronco error. Marissa Nishihara and Alex Casas each had RBI hits and Casas would later score on the front end of a double steal.
The Broncos chipped away at the 3-0 deficit with a run each in the third and fifth innings to get within a run at 3-2 before the big rally in the sixth.
Earle fell to 7-11 on the year, giving up seven hits and five runs, four earned over 5 1/3 innings.
GAME 2: Saint Mary's 8 - Santa Clara 2
Saint Mary's (14-24, 3-6) once again jumped to an early lead building a seven run lead but this time they did not let Santa Clara (17-23, 3-2) back into the game en route to an 8-2 victory in the backend of the doubleheader.
The Gaels banged out 14 hits and scored in each inning except the first and the seventh. Nishihara went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Sasa Koria, Indya Smith, Reyna Heredia and Bry Waters each got two hits. Smith also scored three times while Waters collected two RBIs.
For the Broncos, Sammy Needham went 3-for-4 and Emma Bickford had a pair of hits.
Nishihara got things going for Saint Mary's driving in the first run of the game in the second inning off Broncos starter Regan Dias.
The Gaels added a pair of the runs in the third on three hits, knocking Dias out of the game, to go up 3-0.
It was 7-0 before the Broncos could answer on Allyson Ferreira's sacrifice fly against Gaels starter Kayla Scott.
Scott would go the distance, allowing nine hits, two runs, one earned and three walks while striking out a pair to move to 4-9 on the season.
Dias (4-9) was the losing pitcher.
NEXT UP
The Broncos and the Gaels close out the series on Sunday at noon. Tickets are SOLD OUT for Sunday's game, there will be no walk-up tickets available.
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