April 24, 2005
MORAGA, Calif. - Santa Clara University split Pacific Coast Softball Conference action with Saint Mary's for a second straight day this afternoon against Saint Mary's at Cottrell Field. Santa Clara won game one 9-5 before falling 10-6 in the nightcap. The Broncos' record moves to 23-30, 6-10. The Gaels are now 9-41, 2-14.
In the second game, the Gaels used a six run seventh inning to pull away from the Broncos. With the game knotted at 3, third baseman Michelle Mathis started the scoring with a single to leftfield that scored Lauren Mello. Shelly Taketa followed with a single to right-centerfield that scored Marcia-Marie Euker. Shannon Pooler then drove in Mathis with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. After Taketa scored on a pass ball, Eleni Papailias came through with a two-run single to right field that scored Staci Hamaguchi and Bronwyn Russell.
Russell led all Gaels in the game at the plate. The newcomer batted 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Taketa added a 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2-run performance. Saint Mary's hurler Kelly Harrison (2-6) earned the victory by allowing 11 hits and five earned runs in six innings. Kate Albaugh came in and walked one in an inning of relief.
In game one, the Gaels' comeback effort was thwarted by a Bronco five-run sixth inning. SCU broke open a 4-4 tie to run away with a 9-5 victory.
Saint Mary's trailed 4-0 entering the sixth inning but rallied for four of their own to tie the score. Mathis doubled home Claudia Williams and Papailias. Taketa then drove in Mello on an error by the second baseman. Shortstop Justine Larsen knotted the score with an RBI single to leftfield that scored Mathis.
The Gaels tacked on one more run in the seventh. Mello (1-for-3) recorded her first hit by nailing a line drive in the right-centerfield gap that scored Papailias from first base. The Gaels were led at the plate by Papailias, who batted 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Mathis chipped in with a 1-for-4 2 RBI performance.
Santa Clara hurler Liz Courter (12-14) earned the victory with a complete game. Courter allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out three. Saint Mary's Lauren Gardner (1-14) tallied the loss, allowing 14 hits and nine runs in 5.2 innings of work. Sophomore Kate Albaugh came in for 0.1 innings of hitless relief.
Santa Clara will return home to host the final games of the regular season, vs. San Diego on April 30 and May 1.
