May 1, 2005
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University softball team closed the home and regular seasons with a 13-5 victory over San Diego in Pacific Coast Softball Conference action this afternoon at Marsalli Park. The Toreros used the long ball to their advantage in earning an 11-6 win in the nightcap. Santa Clara closes the year with a 26-31 mark overall, 9-11 in league play. San Diego's record is 18-24, 8-12.
The Bronco program honored its five seniors prior to the start of the contest, and during the game, it was the seniors that shone, giving Santa Clara a 5-0 lead after 1.5 innings. Catcher Daisy Mettlach hit her fifth home run of the season, a two-out, three-run blast over center. Third baseman Vanessa Werner followed in the second, with a two RBI double to center field. For the afternoon, Bronco seniors combined for 10 runs scored, 9 RBIs and 9 hits.
In accordance to PCSC rules, San Diego played as the home team in today's doubleheader, and closed Santa Clara's lead to one with a four-run second inning. The Toreros' entire line-up saw action in this frame and was led off by Sara Mason's double. A Bronco fielding error moved Mason to third and Gina McFarland on first. Kim Delpit then walked to load the bases. Two outs later, consecutive singles by Rebekah Bradford, Ashlee Nunes and Nichole Valenzuela made it a 5-4 ballgame.
The teams remained scoreless through the next three innings. Santa Clara broke that trend with a run in the sixth. Junior Jenny Brown reached base on balls and advanced on Werner's team-leading 16th sacrifice of the season. Outfielder Jessica Clee followed with a double to left to score Brown and add to the Bronco advantage.
San Diego cut SCU's advantage to one in the bottom half of the frame with one run scored. However, Santa Clara put the game out of reach with seven runs in the seventh.
Santa Clara scattered 14 hits in the game, led by Mettlach's 3-for-4, 4 RBI effort. Liz Courter posted her 14th victory in the circle while also hitting 2-for-3. San Diego utilized three pitchers, and McFarland struck out three in the loss. Nunes, Mason and McFarland posted two hits each as the Toreros totaled nine.
In the second game, San Diego took an early 2-0 lead in the first. The Broncos tied the contest with two runs in the third. Brown singled, stole second and then scored on Werner's second double of the day. Werner scored on Clee's single up the middle.
The advantage was short-lived, as a two-run homer from Danielle Treiber returned the Torero lead in the bottom of the frame. Santa Clara countered in the with a run in the fourth, but San Diego pushed ahead 6-3 with its second two-run shot of the day, this one by Mason. Not to be outdone, Clee pushed one over the fence at center to score two runs and make it a 6-5 game in the fifth. It marked her 10th home run of the season.
The Toreros posted their third home run of the day with a second homer from Treiber. This shot also scored Delpit and Alicia Massei, who each singled to reach base. Treiber added 2 RBI double in the sixth and finished 3-for-4 with 7 RBIs.
Kelley Johnson pitched the first inning for the Broncos, her first action in the circle since her sophomore season in 2003. Sara Overmier threw the remaining frames and took the loss to move to 5-6 on the year. Clee, Brown and Werner finished 2-for-4 in the second game.
Santa Clara and San Diego totaled 87 hits on the weekend.
