SAN ANTONIO – Santa Clara softball and Incarnate Word split the Saturday doubleheader to set up Sunday's rubber match.  Each team won by an 8-7 score that saw a total of seven home runs and big come backs on both sides. 

Game 1: Santa Clara 8 - Incarnate Word 7 (8)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Rebecca Rubio's sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth scored the go-winning run in Santa Clara's 8-7 comeback victory over Incarnate Word in game one of the doubleheader.
• With the game tied at 7-all in the extra inning, Abigail Charpentier was hit by a pitch by UIW reliever Bella Mitchell to lead off the inning.  Charpentier moved to third after a sacrifice bunt and a base hit by Leiora Davidson before coming home on Rubio's fly ball to left field.  It was the fourth-straight inning the Broncos scored. 
• The game was a slugfest that featured five home runs with the first six runs scored by each team coming on the long ball.
• In the third inning, Victoria Altamirano started the fireworks with a three-run home run to put the Cardinals (23-11) up 3-0.
• Leiora Davidson tied the game up in the fifth with a three-run shot off starter Samantha Portillo who retired the first 13 Bronco hitters before back-to-back singles by Charpentier and Hazyl Gray preceded Davidson's homer.
• Avalon Sanchez answered back with a three-run homer to put the Cardinals back up by three runs, 6-3, in the home half of the fifth. 
• In the sixth, pinch hitter Ella Romero went deep, a solo shot, for her first career round tripper to trim the Cardinals lead to 6-4.
• Trailing by two runs in the seventh, Gray hit a game-tying two-run round tripper.  The Broncos (21-14) loaded the bases against x on x before Morgan Salmon was hit by a pitch to push a run across to take the first lead of the game. 
• UIW tied the game up at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh when Jillan Guiterrez singled home Altamirano. 
• Alaina Valdez (4-3) who came in relief of starter Hannah Edwards in the fourth inning was the winning pitcher tossing the final 4 1/3 innings. 
• Mitchell (5-1) took the loss giving up two runs, one earned in the final two innings. 
• Charpentier, Gray and Davidson each had two hits and combined to score six times.
• Altamirano had four of the 11 hits for the Cardinals and drove in three RBIs while scoring three times.  

Game 2: Incarnate Word 8 - Santa Clara 7

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Incarnate Word (24-11) pounded out 15 hits and came back from four- and two-run deficits with a pair of big innings to beat Santa Clara 8-7 in the backend game of the doubleheader.
• Santa Clara (21-15) jumped to an 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Robynn Balmediano and Hazyl Gray each hit two-run home runs to knock out starter Larissa Jacquez out of the game.  For Balmediano, it was her first career home run. 
• The Cardinals came back with five runs in the bottom of the third on five hits.  Dariane Cram's single plated the fourth and fifth run of inning as the Cardinals to a one-run lead, 5-4.
• The Broncos reclaimed the lead 7-5 in the top half of the fourth, all coming on sacrifice flies.  Balmediano's sac fly knotted the game at 5-all.  With runners at second and third, Gray hit a deep fly ball to left field that scored both runners as the left fielder took her time throwing the ball back in after her catch.  
• UIW had an answer once again putting up three runs in the fifth to retake the lead 8-7, this time for good. 
• In the fifth, Avery Seva loaded the bases giving up a couple of singles and a walk.  Sage Hager came in relief and allowed all three inherited runners to score including the game-tying and go-ahead runs on a hit by pinch hitter Aaliyah Garcia. 
• Audrey Gallegos (1-0) earned the win giving up three runs in the final five innings to pick up her first win of the season.
• Five Cardinals had multiple hits led by Avalon Sanchez who had three.
• Balmediano and Gray drove in all seven runs for the Broncos. 

• The rubber match between Santa Clara and Incarnate Word is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. PT.