SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Getting back to conference play, Santa Clara softball fell to San Diego by finals of 5-0 and 9-1 in five innings. The Broncos are now 13-29 on the season and 3-5 in WCC play while the Toreros are now 28-17 and 7-1 in conference action.
Santa Clara returns to the field tomorrow, Sun., April 19 at 12 p.m. at San Diego.
Game 1
Ciara Gonzales (10-13) started for Santa Clara and picked up a loss in 6.0 innings. Gonzales allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits with two strikeouts. Geenamarie Bonilla was 2-3 to lead the offense. Three other Broncos added a single each.
Paige von Sprecken (20-7) started for San Diego and picked up a win in 5.0 innings. von Sprecken allowed three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Olivia Sandusky was 1-3 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored to lead the offense. Kailey Hill was 2-3 with a home run while Tatum Schultz and Morgan Kurtz were both 2-2 with a run scored.
Bonilla led off the second with a single and Kimberly Goulart put runners on the corners with a one out single. The next two Broncos went down swinging to end the inning.
The Toreros scored four times in the bottom of the third for the first runs of the day. The first two batters of the inning reached via singles. Sandusky came up with a two-run double to left center. An error on the next play led to another San Diego run. After a strikeout, Mary Grabowski singled up the middle to make it a 4-0 game.
Santa Clara got two walks in the top of the fifth to put runners on first and second for the top of the order. Ellie Fisher grounded out to short to keep the score at 4-0 through four and a half innings.
Hill homered to center to lead off the bottom of the fifth and make it a 5-0 game.
Chiara Biagini hit an infield single with two down in the seventh but the game ended on a comebacker to the pitcher.
Game 2
McCall James (2-5) started for Santa Clara and picked up a loss in 2.2 innings. James allowed seven runs, two earned, on five hits. Jordan Newell was 2-2 with a home run to lead the offense. Fisher was 1-3 while Bonilla was 1-2.
von Sprecken (21-7) started for San Diego and picked up a win in 4.0 innings. von Sprecken allowed one run on five hits with a strikeout. Schultz was 2-2 with a doubles, a triple, and three RBI to lead the offense. Caitlin Rooney was 2-2 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored while Hill was 2-2 with a double, a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
After San Diego put up single runs in the second and third, Newell got Santa Clara on the board with a home run to center field.
The Toreros answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Sandusky started the inning by reaching on an error and James hit the next two batters to load the bases. After a pop up, a sac fly brought home the first run of the inning. A wild pitch moved up both runners and Rooney doubled to center to knock in two more runs. Mavridis singled to center and James was removed for Briana Rios. Schultz doubled in both runners but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple to end the inning.
Two more runs scored for San Diego in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 9-1 game. Santa Clara grounded out three times in the top of the fifth to end the game.
