SAN DIEGO - In a West Coast Conference series doubleheader on Saturday, Santa Clara softball and San Diego each got strong pitching performances to split the games. The Broncos took the first game 4-0 behind Hazyl Gray's shutout and the Toreros got a complete game effort from Emma Giaime to take the second game 6-3.
Game 1: Santa Clara 4 - San Diego 0
Freshman Hazyl Gray tossed a two-hit shutout and Morgan Salmon drove in three runs in Santa Clara's 4-0 series opening win in the first game of the doubleheader.
The Broncos (23-24, 4-9 WCC) struck first on Salmon's RBI grounder with the bases loaded in the first. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when Salmon brought home two runs with a triple to the left-center gap to make it 3-0 and SCU added a run in the sixth on Ashley Trierweiler's RBI double. All four runs came against San Diego starter Madison Earnshaw (8-6) who gave up seven hits, five walks and struck out two over her seven innings of work. Only two of the runs were earned.
Meanwhile, Gray (5-7) needed 107 pitches to shutout the Toreros. The freshman lefty allowed just two hits, both singles to Izzy Owen and Mikalyn Emanuelli, in the first and the fifth inning to cruise to her first shutout of her career.
The Toreros (19-28-1, 4-6 WCC) had their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth putting on two runners with one out as Amanda Limon drew a walk and Owen singled. But Gray got a couple of fly ball outs to get out of the inning unscathed.
Emma Bickford went 3-for-3 and Trierweiler finished 2-for-4 with an RBI as her nation's second best batting average remained at .507 Ferreira scored twice.
Game 2: San Diego 6 - Santa Clara 3
San Diego came back strong in the second game of the doubleheader jumping to a 6-0 lead en route to a 6-3 victory behind Emma Giaime's pitching.
Giaime (7-2) threw a complete game, scattering five hits and three runs, one earned, and struck out two without issuing a walk.
Offensively, Amanda Limon and Izzy Owen each drove in two runs while Taylor Johnson had an RBI.
Facing Broncos starter Regan Dias (2-5), the Toreros (20-28-1, 5-6 WCC) put up a pair of runs in the third on Owen's RBI sacrifice fly and EJ Joyner's stolen base of home to go up 2-0.
In the fourth, the Toreros tacked on four more runs on four hits and a Bronco error. The runs came courtesy of a single by Johnson and doubles by Limon and Owen.
Santa Clara (23-25, 4-10 WCC) got a run back in the sixth on Morgan Salmon's double for her fourth RBI on the day. The Broncos added two more runs in the seventh aided by a couple of Torero errors.
Emma Bickford was the only Bronco with multiple hits going 2-for-4 while Ashley Trierweiler was held off the bases, going 0-for-4 to drop her season average to .493
NEXT UP
The Broncos close out the season on Sunday against the Toreros at 1 p.m. PT.
