HONOLULU – Santa Clara softball bounced back from a tough first day at the Hawai'i Spring Fling Tournament with two wins on Saturday, shutting out St. Bonaventure 8-0 and downing Niagara 6-3 to close out the tournament with a 2-2 record. Broncos hurler Sage Hager was the winning pitcher in both contests.
GAME 1: Santa Clara 8 - St. Bonaventure 0 (six innings)
Sage Hager and Hannah Edwards combined for a 3-hit shutout and the Broncos banged out 13 hits in an 8-0 run rule win over St. Bonaventure in the morning game.
Santa Clara (7-11) put up four runs in the opening frame on a pair of 2-RBI singles by Lauren LaHood and Morgan Salmon and that is all the Broncos needed.
In four innings of work, Hager (3-3) allowed just two hits and issued one walk to earn the win. Edwards came in relief to start the fifth and held St. Bonaventure to a base hit in two innings.
Salmon had a big game at the plate going 3-for-3 with three RBIs. One of those RBI came in the three-run fifth, doubling home LaHood. Cameron McGinnis and Mariah Montalvo also drove in a run against the Bonnies starter Elizabeth Lis.
Lis (0-4) gave up 10 hits and seven runs over 4 2/3 innings.
GAME 2: Santa Clara 6 - Niagara 3
Ashley Trierweiler and Morgan Salmon together drove in five with a home run each and Sage Hager came in relief to toss six strong innings to lift Santa Clara past Niagara 6-3.
Santa Clara (8-11) fell behind 3-0 early in the contest but Trierweiler tied it up in the bottom of the second with a 3-run round tripper. It was her second home run in as many days and fifth on the season.
Sammy Needham plated the go-ahead run with an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth to break the 3-all tie. Trierweiler was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and stole second. She moved to third on Bailey McLaughlin's grounder before coming home on Needham's ball to left field.
Lauren LaHood followed with a single and Salmon added the insurance runs with a home run to left center to push the Broncos lead to 6-3.
Cara Leone (0-2) who came into the game in the fourth, allowed three runs over two frames for the loss.
Bronco starter Hazyl Gray had a rough start inside the circle where she gave up two runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman in the opening inning, prompting head coach Gina Carbonatto to go to the bullpen early.
Hager (4-3) came in with the bases loaded and one out but retired Hannah Mingle and Karesa Recrosio to escape the jam without further damage. She went on to throw into the seventh, allowed one run on three hits to earn the victory.
Edwards came in to close out the game just as she did in the first game.
Trieweiler and Gray had two hits for SCU as did Lindsay Mayo of Niagara.
NEXT UP
The Broncos return to the mainland to host a midweek doubleheader against CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday. Game times are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. from Santa Clara Softball Stadium.
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