BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield overcame early Santa Clara softball leads in both ends of the doubleheader to win the pair, 6-4 in the first contest and 6-5 in the backend game that went to extra innings.
GAME 1: CSU Bakersfield 6 - Santa Clara 4
A five-run third inning was the difference in CSU Bakersfield's 5-4 win over Santa Clara in the first game of the doubleheader.
In the frame, the Roadrunners (5-18) put up five runs on five hits and took advantage of a pair of Bronco errors to flip a 3-0 deficit into a 5-3 lead. CSUB strung together four-straight singles to lead the inning, plating two against Broncos starter Lauren Anderson. A Bronco error allowed the tying run to score before Kaia Johnson stole home on a double steal for the go-ahead run. Kayla Tadewosian capped off the inning with an RBI single for the fifth run.
Santa Clara (14-19) scored three runs in the opening inning on Allyson Ferreira's RBI triple and Sammy Needham's two-run home run off CSUB starter Kaycie Kennedy. For Needham, it was her first career home run.
The Broncos got to within a run on Morgan Salmon's RBI singles in the fifth but CSU Bakersfield added an insurance run in the sixth when Johnson hit a sacrifice fly RBI to push the lead back up to two runs, 6-4.
Kennedy (3-5) went five innings and allowed seven hits, four runs, one earned and struck out three to pick up the win.
Anderson (0-3) who made her first start inside the circle was the losing pitcher giving up six hits and five runs, two earned, over three innings.
Reina Castillo picked up her first save of the season pitching two scoreless innings to close out the game.
GAME 2: CSU Bakersfield 6 - Santa Clara 5 (eight innings)
Lauren Randle hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to complete CSU Bakerfield's 6-5 comeback victory over Santa Clara in the second game of the doubleheader.
The Roadrunners (6-18) trailed 5-4 entering the eighth after the Broncos (14-20) went ahead in the top half of the inning on Morgan Salmon's RBI sacrifice fly to score Lauren LaHood.
With the international tiebreaker rule in place, Kaia Johnson was placed on second base to start the inning. Johnson came around tie the game up on a Bronco error. Shaylene Fuimaono followed with a double off Regan Dias to put runners in scoring position and after one out, Randle singled in the game-winner.
Randle went 2-for-4 with three RBIs as she also drove in two runs to tie the game up at 4-all in the sixth.
CSU Bakersfield overcame a 4-0 deficit after the Broncos scored a pair of runs in the first and the third innings.
In the first, Ashley Trierweiler led the game off with a double and came home on Allyson Ferreira's single. Ferreira would score later on a Roadrunner error for the second run of the frame.
Santa Clara doubled their lead to 4-0 in the third on Emma Bickford's RBI single and Sammy Needham's sacrifice fly RBI.
The Roadrunners chipped away at the lead with a run in the third and the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Kaycie Kennedy (4-5) came in relief to pitch the final 5 1/3 innings and allowed just two hits and the unearned run in the eighth while fanning five to earn the win.
Dias (2-6) went the distance tossing 7 1/3 innings to allow seven hits and six runs, although only two were earned with the defense committing three errors.
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