SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball capped off their sweep of North Dakota State with a walk-off win in the night cap on the first day of the Silicon Valley Classic II tournament on Friday at SCU Softball Stadium.  In a pair of tightly contested games, the Broncos downed the Bison 3-2 in the first game and 4-3 in the second game on Hazyl Gray's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to extend their win streak to four games.

Game 1: Santa Clara 3 - North Dakota State 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Santa Clara (11-9) and North Dakota State (10-13) combined for just seven hits in a pitcher's duel between Alaina Valdez and Addie Bowers who each tossed a complete game giving up two earned runs total.
• The Broncos manufactured a run in the opening frame when Cairah Curran drew a walk, stole second and moved to third on a fly ball to right.  She then came home on an RBI grounder by Morgan Salmon to give the Broncos an early 1-0 lead.
• The Bison put up  two runs in the top of the third on a fielding error by Salmon with the bases loaded to go up 2-1.
• In the home half of the third, Marie Martorella answered with a solo home run to left field, her first as a Bronco to knot the game up at 2-all.
• The game-winning run came in the sixth when Abigail Charpentier hit a sacrifice fly RBI to plate Salmon after she doubled and advanced to third on the right fielder's error. 
• Valdez gave up two runs on four hits, walked four and struck out four over seven innings of work to improve to 2-0 on the year. 
• Bowers suffered the loss and dropped to 2-4 after giving up three hits, three runs, two earned over six innings. 

Game 2: Santa Clara 4 - North Dakota State 3

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Santa Clara (12-9) scored a pair of runs including a walk-off single by Hazyl Gray to complete the sweep over North Dakota State (10-14). 
• In the seventh, Rebecca Rubio worked herself a leadoff walk after falling behind the count 0-2 and came home all the way from first when the shortstop threw the ball away on Cairah Curran's infield hit to tie the game up at 3-all.  Curran advanced to third on the play and scored the winning run when Gray's hit went over the left fielder's head.  It was Gray's third hit and second RBI of the game. 
• The Broncos were also helped out by a Bison miscue to open the scoring in the third. 
• North Dakota State took the lead 2-1 in the fourth on Reanna Rudd's sacrifice fly RBI followed by Jasmyn Yessian's RBI double. 
• Gray tied it up in the fifth with a bases loaded hit but the Broncos ran themselves out of the inning when Gray was doubled up at second on a liner to center. 
• A pair of errors in the sixth gave the Bison a 3-2 lead but the Broncos fought back to improve to 12-9 on the year. 
• Avery Seva (3-4) pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the win while Madison Wihlm (2-2) was saddled with the loss giving up the two unearned runs over her two innings of work.  
• Bailey McLaughlin and Leiora Davidson each went 2-for-3. 

Hear from head coach Gina Carbonatto after today's game one win over North Dakota State. #SCUBroncos #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/XWiNkgPv2k

— Santa Clara Softball (@SCUSoftball) March 9, 2024

• Santa Clara and Iowa play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 12:30 p.m.