SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - New Mexico put up five runs in the sixth inning to rally past Santa Clara softball 7-6 on Friday in the Broncos' first game at the UC Santa Barbara South Coast Invitational.

Heading to the top of the sixth, the Broncos (10-10) led 5-2, but the Lobos (14-3) got five hits in the inning, including four for extra base hits, to score five runs against Bronco starter Hannah Edwards.

Andrea Howard's RBI double scored the fifth run of the inning to give the Lobos a 7-5 lead in what proved to be the game-winning run.

Santa Clara got one run back in the bottom of the sixth when Ella Romero singled home Cameron McGinnins who had a two out double to cut the Lobos lead to 7-6.

In the ninth, the Broncos had the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first but Amber Linton struck out Morgan Salmon to end the game.

Earlier in the game, in the second inning, Salmon hit her first home run as a Bronco depositing a 1-0 offering from Linton over the wall, to knot the game up at 2-all.  Linton walked the next two batters, Sarah Ellersick and McGinnis before being replaced by Sanchez.  Lauren LaHood's grounder moved the runners over before Ashley Trierweiler plated Ellersick with an RBI grounder to give the Broncos a 3-2 advantage.

Santa Clara tacked on two more runs in the fourth on RBI doubles by McGinnis and Trierweiler.

Meanwhile, Broncos starter Hannah Edwards was in command through the first five innings, only giving up a pair of runs in the second on RBI singles by Janae Cameron and Ashley Archuleta before being touched up in the sixth.

Briana Martinez went 2-for-3 for the lone New Mexico player with multiple hits.  Salmon and McGinnis each had a pair of base knocks for the Broncos.

Linton (6-1) pitched a total of 4 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs to pick up her sixth win of the season.  Edwards dropped to 3-5 on the season giving up nine hits, seven runs, six earned over six innings.

NEXT UP

The Broncos play two games on Saturday, against New Mexico at 9:30 a.m. and Wagner at 2 p.m. PT.   

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