SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball split a doubleheader against Idaho State on the second day of the Silicon Valley Classic II Tournamenbt on Saturday, falling 5-3 in the first game and winning 4-2 in the backend game. 

GAME 1: Idaho State 5 - Santa Clara 3
Santa Clara (11-16) jumped to an early 2-0 lead thanks to Emma Bickford's two-run home run in the opening frame but Idaho State (12-11) answered with two runs each in the second and third innings and stayed in the lead for the rest of the game.

Bickford who went 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs deposited the first pitch from Mareena Ramirez over the centerfield wall for her first home run of the season.

However, the 2-0 lead was short lived as the Bengals came back with two runs in the top of the second on Brook Richards' two-run RBI double off Bronco starter Liyah Lopez to knot the game up at 2-all.

Idaho State took the lead in the third facing Regan Dias who came in relief to start the inning.  She put two runners on base but her defense let her down with an error on what would have been the third out, to load the bases.  Mailee Newman took advange of the Broncos miscue and singled home two runs to put the Bengals up 4-2.

Santa Clara trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the sixth on Morgan Salmon's RBI sacrifice fly but Idaho State added an insurance run in the seventh.

Ramirez (2-4) picked up the win going 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs while striking out eight.  Haley Rainey was credited with a save getting the final five outs.

Dias (2-4) took the loss, pitching the last five innings, giving up six hits, three runs with only one earned.  

GAME 2: Santa Clara 4 - Idaho State 2
In the second game of the doubleheader, Sage Hager delivered a gritty performance in the circle, giving up two runs over 6 2/3 innings despite giving up 11 hits, in the Broncos 4-2 victory.

Hager gave up just one hit through the first three innings but the Bengals touched her up with 10 hits in the final four frames.  However, Hager was able to pitch out of it including a bases loaded situation in the fourth and with help from Hannah Edwards in the seventh.  

Edwards entered the game in the seventh with the potential tying runner on base but struck out Piper Tago to close out the game and earn her first save of the season.

Idaho State (12-12) strung together four singles in the seventh off Hager with the last one by Angelica Cano bringing home two runners to cut the Broncos lead in half to 4-2 before Edwards came in.

Santa Clara (12-16) got its first three runs off the bat of Allyson Ferreira.

Ferreira's RBI bunt scored the first run of the game in the third.

In the fifth, Ferreira doubled in two runs to make it 3-0.  Emma Bickford followed with an RBI single to bring home Ferreira to give the Broncos a 4-0 lead.

Haley Rainey (7-3) who gave up all four runs over 4 2/3 innings was the losing pitcher.

NEXT UP

The Broncos play the finale of the Silicon Valley Classic II Tournament on Sunday against Utah State.  First pitch is at 10 a.m. which was changed from the originally scheduled time of 9 a.m.  

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