LOS ANGELES – Santa Clara softball had the go-ahead run at the plate in the seventh inning but their comeback bid against LMU fell short in the 4-2 loss to the Lions in Saturday's rubber match.
With the win, the Lions (36-15, 13-2 WCC) clinched a share of first place atop the West Coast Conference standings along with BYU.
Trailing 4-1 in the seventh, the Broncos (21-30, 7-8 WCC) loaded the bases with no outs on Sarah Ellersick's single and a pair of walks issued by Lions ace Jenna Perez.
Logan Caymol came in relief of Perez and got Ella Romero to ground out, allowing one run to score. With one out and runners in scoring position, Lauren Bryson came into to pinch hit but struck out looking on a full count.
Next up was Broncos leading hitter Ashley Trierweiler but Caymol got her to fly out to center for the final out of the game to pick up the save.
Perez was in control for much of the game allowing just two hits and three walks through the first six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. She finished with a line of two runs allowed on three hits, five walks and eight strikeouts over six innings to pick up her 17th win of the season.
LMU jumped on Santa Clara pitching early, putting up two runs each in the first and the second frames.
In the bottom of the first, the Lions had three singles off starter Liyah Lopez with Georgia Blair and Alyssa Daniella singling in runs to go up 2-0.
Hannah Edwards came in relief of Lopez at the start of the second inning but hit Peyton Angulo and allowed a single to Sydney Poole. Poole stole second to put runners at scoring position and both came home on Megan Dedrick's single that put the Lions up 4-0.
Lopez (0-1), a senior playing her final game as a Bronco, took the loss. Ellersick, also a senior, went 2-for-3 in her final appearance in a Santa Clara uniform.
Poole had three hits and Blair had a pair for LMU.
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