FRESNO, Calif. – Santa Clara softball split the two games on Saturday at the Fresno State Kickoff Classic beating South Dakota State 7-5 in the first game before falling to Fresno State 3-0 in the second game. 

GAME 1: Santa Clara 7 - South Dakota State 5

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Morgan Salmon delivered a walk-off two-run home run in the seventh inning against Tori Kniesche (2-1) to lift Santa Clara to a 7-5 victory.  A day earlier in the Bronco season opener, Kniesche threw a one-hit shut out but this time, SCU got the better of her who came in relief to start the seventh.  Bailey McLaughlin got things started drawing a lead off walk before Salmon's blast.
• It was Salmon's second home run of the day.  In the fourth, she hit one over the centerfield fence to give the Broncos a 2-1 lead.  It was the first Bronco hit off of starter Shannon Lasey and jump started the offense that finished with eight hits.
• Santa Clara (1-1) and South Dakota State (2-2) each had three-run innings to knock out the starting pitchers.  The Broncos scored theirs in the fourth on Salmon's solo homer and Cameron McGinnis' two-RBI single off Lasey to take a 4-1 lead.  The Jackrabbits came tied it up in the top of the fifth on a pair of home runs, a solo shot by Mia Jarecki and a two-run shot by Emma Osmundson off Hannah Edwards. 
• Broncos retook the lead 5-4 in the home half of the fifth on Hazyl Gray's RBI double and took the lead into the seventh before Lindsey Culver tied it up with a two out single to plate Akayla Barnard. 
• The Jackrabbits had a chance to tie the game earlier in the sixth but Cheyanne Masterson was thrown out at home by the centerfielder McLaughlin trying to score from second on a single. 
• Sage Hager (1-0) who came relief of Edwards in the fifth picked up the win, giving up one run over the final three innings. 

NOTABLE NUMBERS / GAME NOTES: 

• 2: The two home runs by Salmon were her first multi-home run game.
• Freshman Cairah Curran reached first for the first time as a Broncos on a lead off walk in the opening inning and promptly recorded her first stolen base.
• Freshman Kyla Acres made her Bronco debut as a pinch hitter and drew a walk.
• Freshman Rebecca Rubio singled in the sixth for her first career hit. 

GAME 2: Fresno State 3 - Santa Clara 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Fresno State starting pitcher Serayah Neiss and reliever Taylor Gilmore threw a combined shutout allowing six hits and two walks while keeping the Broncos bats in check.
• The Fresno State (2-1) pitching duo held Santa Clara (1-2) to 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
• In five of the seven innings, the Broncos put runners in scoring position but they could not push a run across.   
• Freshman Avery Seva made her Bronco debut inside the circle and allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings.
• The Bulldogs scored a run in the third on Sophia Medllin's RBI single and added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth on Emma Martinez's triple. 

• Freshman Taryn Clements singled in the second inning for her first career hit.
• Junior College transfer Alaina Valdez made her Bronco debut in the sixth, recording an out in relief of Seva. 

• Santa Clara plays CSU Bakersfield at 10 a.m. and Fresno State at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the final day of the Fresno State Kickoff Classic.