March 25, 2005
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Senior Daisy Mettlach hit her first Bronco home run, a three-run shot to center, to lift the Santa Clara University softball team to a 7-0 victory over Saint Francis College of New York this afternoon at Marsalli Park. The Broncos followed with a 15-2 victory in five innings to complete the doubleheader sweep and are now 15-16 on the season. The Terriers fall to 0-6.
Junior outfielder Jessica Clee added a double, a triple and a home run as the Broncos posted 10 hits in the opener. Junior pitcher Liz Courter went 3-3 offensively, and was also key to the defense, as she struck out 10 in earning her seventh victory of the season.
Mettlach hit a two-out three-run home run to put Santa Clara ahead in the first. The homer marked Mettlach's first of the season. She brought in Jillian Cassel, who reached base on balls, and Clee, who doubled to left field.
The Broncos extended their lead in the third. Cassel walked again, and scored on Clee's ensuing triple to right field. Clee scored on a throwing error by the Terrier defense when Mettlach was at bat. Clee followed with a homer to center in the fifth for Santa Clara's sixth run of the contest. The home squad's final run came in the sixth. Third baseman Sabrina Franks was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Courter's single and stole home to close out scoring.
The Terriers were held to three hits in the game, two by center fielder Janine Valentin: a single up the middle to start the second inning and a double to the left field fence with two outs in the sixth. Catcher Kristina Poore added a double in the seventh.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Cassel notched an RBI double in the first to put the Broncos on the board early. St. Francis responded, loading the bases in the second with no outs and scoring two runs to take the 2-1 lead. Singles by Juliana Endo, Nicole Adisano and Amanda Pileggi contributed to the scores.
Santa Clara took control of the game in the bottom half of the frame, scoring seven runs on seven hits. The Broncos added four runs in the third behind singles from Jenny Brown, Cassel and Clee. Maggie Godfrey added her third home run of the season, a two-run shot over left-center. Franks led off the fourth with a double, and was brought home by a Shannon Linerud single. Linerud stole two bases and ran home on Cassel's sacrifice fly. Clee added her second home run of the day, this one over the right field fence.
The Broncos finished with 15 hits. Sophomore Sara Overmier earned the victory in the circle, striking out four.
Santa Clara will now break for the Easter holiday and return to action next week with three more home contests at Marsalli Park. SCU will host Brown on Wednesday, and then follow with the Pacific Coast Softball Conference opener against Sacramento State during the weekend. Admission is free to all contests.
