SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Sage Hager threw a no-hitter as the Santa Clara softball pitching dazzled in the doubleheader sweep of Nevada on Wednesday. In the second game of the twin bill, Hager recorded the program's fifth no-hitter since 2000 in the 1-0 shutout victory. She preceded that with a save in game one, coming in relief of Hannah Edwards, who shined in her own right in the 2-1 win. Between the two games, Hager and Edwards combined to allow just five hits, one run and two walks over 14 innings.
Game 1: Santa Clara 2 – Nevada 1
Hannah Edwards surrendered one run across 6 2/3 innings and Cameron McGinnis drove in a pair of runs to lift Santa Clara (17-14) to a 2-1 win over Nevada in game one of the doubleheader.
Edwards and Nevada starter Carley Brown were locked up in a pitcher's duel as both pitchers nearly went the distance.
The Bronco right-hander held the Nevada lineup to three hits over the first five frames taking a 2-0 lead into the sixth.
In the sixth, Aaliyah Jenkins led off a with double and came home on Haylee Engelbrecht's single with two outs that cut into the Broncos lead 2-1.
Nevada (24-8) threatened in the final inning when Maile Olsen smoked a double to the right-center gap and advanced to third on Hannah Di Genova's fly ball to right field. Broncos head coach Gina Carbonatto elected to bring Hager in relief to face pinch-hitter Haley Painter with two outs.
On a 2-2 count, Sager got Painter to foul out to first to end the game and pick up her first save of the season to secure Edwards' win who improved to 6-3 on the year.
Brown (9-6) held the Broncos to just two hits over six innings but gave up a key hit in the second when McGinnis singled to center with runners in scoring position. Brown was the tough luck losing pitcher in a six-inning complete game effort to drop to 9-6.
Ashley Trierweiler had the other hit for the Broncos to extend her hit streak to 21 games.
The Broncos did a solid job controlling the Wolfpack run game that came into the game with 114 stolen bases in 31 games averaging 3.7 steals per game. However, the Edwards/Sage and McGinnis battery held them to just one steal.
Game 2: Santa Clara 1 - Nevada 0
In game two, Sage Hager threw 97 pitches with 68 of them for strikes in her no-hit effort of Nevada. The sophomore right-hander allowed one walk and hit three Wolfpack batters over seven innings to record the first Bronco no-hitter since Aubree Kim had one in 2018 against Saint Mary's.
Allyson Ferreira broke a scoreless deadlock in the home half of the sixth when she tripled home Lauren LaHood against Tyra Clary for the lone run of the game.
Clary entered the game in relief of starter Brooklyn Trujillo to start the fifth. An inning prior, the Broncos had two runners in scoring position but were unable to cash in against Trujillo.
Clary had a sparkling 0.58 ERA and had a 7-0 record with a pair of saves over 14 appearances for the Wolfpack (24-9) as the Broncos (18-14) threatened once again in the fifth. Ashley Trierweiler drew a walk, that extended her streak of safely reaching base to 26 games, and Morgan Salmon singled to once again put two runners on base but they were left stranded.
Santa Clara finally broke through in the sixth on Ferreira's RBI extra base hit, setting up the stage for Hager in the seventh.
In the seventh, Hager hit the leadoff batter Charli Hawkins who was pinch ran by Tatum Maytorena. Pinch-hitter Charli McLendon successfully moved Maytorena to second on a sacrifice bunt but Hager retired Haylee Engelbrecht and got Maya Larsen to fly out to left field to complete her no-hit bid as her teammates mobbed her near the circle.
LaHood and Ferreira had two hits apiece. While Trierweiler extended her streak of successfully reaching base, she was held hitless, ending her 21-game hitting streak.
A NO-HITTER for @sageehager!!
— Santa Clara Softball (@SCUSoftball) April 6, 2023
Broncos win 1-0!!! pic.twitter.com/tz2Rut5dna
NEXT UP
Santa Clara opens West Coast Conference play at home against BYU starting on Friday. The first pitch of the doubleheader is at 3:30 p.m. PT.
