SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara softball bats were quieted on the first day of the Silicon Valley Classic II Tournament on Friday, falling to UC Davis 2-1 in nine innings and to Utah State 6-2. 

GAME 1: UC Davis 2 - Santa Clara 1 (nine innings)
Sarah Starks doubled home the game-winning run in the top of the ninth as starting pitcher Taylor Fitzgerald outdueled Sage Hager in UC Davis' 2-1 win over Santa Clara.

Fitzgerald and Hager each tossed seven scoreless innings before the international tiebreak rule went into effect in extra innings.

In the eighth, each team exchanged a run, with pinch-hitter Bella Pahulu coming through with an RBI single for UC Davis (8-11) to plate Sierra Hillman for the first run of the game.

The Broncos (11-14) answered in the home half of the eighth on Emma Bickford's single to right field that scored Regan Dias who started at second base to start the inning.

After Starks made it 2-1 in the ninth, the Broncos were unable to answer as Allyson Ferreira was left stranded at second.  Fitzgerald got a pair of pop outs to second sandwiched by a strikeout to close out the ninth to earn a nine-inning complete game.  She allowed six hits, an unearned run and walked two while striking out three to improve to 3-3 on the year.

Hager (5-3) took the loss giving up six hits, two unearned runs and struck out two without issuing a walk.

Delaney Diaz went 3-for-4 for the Aggies while Ashley Trierweiler went 2-for-4 for Santa Clara as the only two hitters with multiple hits in the game. 

GAME 2: Utah State 6 - Santa Clara 2
Gabriella Jimenez's bases clearing triple in the fourth inning proved to be the difference in Utah State's 6-2 victory over Santa Clara in the evening game.

With the game knotted at 1-all, Bri Lerma, Claudia Media and Mazie Macfarlane singled off Broncos starter Hannah Edwards to load the bases.  Jimenez hit the ball to the right-center gap to score all three base runners to give Utah State (9-11) a three-run advantage that they would not give up.

The Broncos (11-15) trimmed the lead to 4-2 in the fifth on Sammy Needham's RBI double but the Aggies answered with two runs in the sixth for the final margin of victory.

Utah State had eight hits on the night with Jimenez, Lerma and Medina each going 2-for-4.

Santa Clara got two hits each from Allyson Ferreira and Needham.

Kapri Toone (4-1) picked up the win going five innings, scattering eight hits and two runs.  Edwards (4-6) was the losing pitcher allowing six runs, five earned, over 5 1/3 innings. 

NEXT UP

The Broncos play a doubleheader against Idaho State on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.     

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