SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball and Saint Mary's split the doubleheader on Saturday with the Broncos taking the first game 5-3 and the Gaels winning the second game 3-0.  

Game 1: Santa Clara 5 - Saint Mary's 3

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Santa Clara (24-19, 3-3 WCC) got a strong performance from two-way player Hazyl Gray who threw 6 1/3 innings to earn the win and helped her cause in the batter's box with two hits and two RBIs in the 5-3 win over Saint Mary's (23-19, 3-3 WCC).
• Gray (3-4) gave up three runs on six hits, walked two and struck out three before being replaced by Avery Seva in the top of the seventh. 
• With the potential game-tying run at the plate and one out, Seva got the final two outs to pick up her fifth save of the season.  
• Saint Mary's led 1-0 into the bottom of the fifth behind a solid pitching performance by Avrey Wolverton but Gray roped a double to left center to plate Rebecca Rubio and Cairah Curran for a 2-1 lead.  The Broncos would not look back again, adding a third run in the same inning and two more in the sixth on Morgan Salmon's 2-RBI double. 
• The Gaels got two runs in the seventh to narrow the gap to 5-3 before Seva closed things out. 
• SCU collected 10 hits with multi-hit games from Gray and Abigail Charpentier.
• Wolverton allowed six of those hits and three runs to drop to 3-5 on the year. 
• Hannah Ferguson had a game-high three hits with one of those driving in a run in the seventh that cut the Broncos lead to 5-3. 

Game 2: Saint Mary's 3 - Santa Clara 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Mia Nishikawa threw a three-hit shutout and a different Gael hitter had an RBI in each of the final three innings to give Saint Mary's (24-19, 4-3 WCC) their first win of the series.
• Nishikawa (11-6) threw 92 pitches and walked one batter over seven innings to earn her 11th victory. 
• The Gaels hurler gave up a hit in the third, fifth and the seventh innings.  In the seventh, the Broncos put the first two batters on but Nishikawa retired the next three batters to preserve her shutout. 
• It was a scoreless game through the first four innings with Nishikawa and Broncos hurler Alaina Valdez in a pitcher's duel.  Saint Mary's finally broke through with a run in the fifth when Lindsay Cabral's bunt single brought home Victoria Castillo. 
• In the sixth, Odhi Vasquez had a fielder's choice RBI when she hit the ball sharply to center with the bases load that scored a run but with Bailey McLaughlin throwing out the runner trying to move from second to third. 
• SMC added an insurance run in the seventh on Taylor Lane's single. 
• Valdez (4-5) was the losing pitcher for Santa Clara (24-20, 3-4 WCC) after giving up two runs, one earned on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. 

Pitching, hitting, defense...we had it all in our DH1 win. #SCUBroncos #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/eLptnLcvxd

— Santa Clara Softball (@SCUSoftball) April 28, 2024

Ohtani-esque ??

?? 6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO to earn the win
?? 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBIs, double#SCUBroncos #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/aCvanZCuGl

— Santa Clara Softball (@SCUSoftball) April 28, 2024

• Santa Clara and Saint Mary's close out the four-game series on Sunday starting at noon PT.