2022 NORCAL KICKOFF TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | HOSTED BY UC DAVIS | HOSTED BY SACRAMENTO STATE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Santa Clara softball bats were held in check and lost two games on the final day of the NorCal Kickoff on Sunday. The Broncos (1-4) dropped a 2-1 game to Montana in the morning contest and 4-0 to Sacramento State in the tournament finale.
GAME 1: Montana 2 - Santa Clara 1
Montana put up two runs in the opening frame and never looked back, downing Santa Clara softball 2-1 in the morning game of the final day of the NorCal Kickoff on Sunday.
Broncos starting pitcher Hannah Edwards pitched another solid game going the distance for the second-straight game. A costly error in the first inning led to a pair of unearned runs as the Grizzlies (3-2) scored on a couple of RBI grounders by Kendall Curtis and Presley Jantzi.
Santa Clara could not capitalize on their offensive opportunities throughout the game. The Broncos put at least two runners on base in each of the first four innings but was only able to take advantage of it in the fourth inning.
In the fourth, the Broncos loaded the bases against starter Maggie Joseph on an Emma Bickford double and a pair of walks with no outs. Allie Brock came in relief and minimized the damage to just one run on a sacrifice fly by Sarah Ellersick keep the Grizzlies ahead 2-1.
Montana threatened in the top half of the fifth when they loaded the bases with one out on a pair of Bronco errors that sandwiched a Kylie Becker single. Edwards pitched out of the jam striking out Maygen McGrath and got Curtis to ground out to keep it a one run game.
Allie Brock (3-0) who pitched four scoreless innings in relief picked up the win. Brock did not allow a hit and issued one walk and struck out three batters.
Edwards (1-1) was the hard luck losing pitcher scattering four hits over seven innings. The two runs charged against her were both unearned as she has yet to allow an earned run in 14 innings this season. For the second-straight outing Edwards did not issue a walk.
Becker went 2-for-4 for Montana and Bickford went 2-for-3, the only players with multiple hits in the game.
GAME 2: Sacramento State 4 - Santa Clara 0
Sacramento State (2-2) beat Santa Clara for the second time in as many days behind the pitching of Marissa Bertuccio and a pair of two-run home runs.
Bertuccio allowed four hits, issued a walk and struck out six in her shutout victory to improve to 1-1 on the season.
Caroline Evans blasted a two-run home run in the second off Broncos starter Zoe Straughn to put the Hornets up 2-0.
In the next inning, Lexie Webb doubled the lead with a two-run round tripper, also off Straughn. Evans and Webb each had two hits. Lewa Day was the only other Hornet with a hit.
Bailey McLaughlin and Emma Bickford had two hits apiece to account for all of Santa Clara's hit totals.
Straughn (0-2) took the loss giving up four runs on three hits and two walks over three innings of work.
NEXT UP
The Broncos head to Phoenix to play in the GCU Puple Classic hosted by Grand Canyon University from Friday to Sunday.
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