STOCKTON, Calif. – Santa Clara softball got off to a strong start in the West Coast Conference series against Pacific coming up on top in both doubleheader games, 4-1 and 15-5.  By taking the doubleheader, the Broncos (27-20, 6-4 WCC) ensured a winning regular season for the first time since 2004 with six regular games remaining.

Game 1: Santa Clara 4 - Pacific 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Hannah Edwards, the reigning WCC Pitcher of the Week, had another dominant outing in the circle, recording her second straight complete game victory. 
• The right-handed hurler allowed an unearned run in the opening frame but shutout the Tigers the rest of the way, scattering five hits, striking out four and walking none.  Edwards improved to 12-5 on the year and dropped her season ERA to 3.07
• Pacific (16-34, 5-8 WCC) scored in the first on an RBI single by Jordan Hayes after the inning was extended by a Broncos fielding error. 
• Trailing by a run, Santa Clara (26-20, 5-4 WCC) put up three runs in the top half of the third to go up 3-1.  They put the pressure on the Tigers defense with their base running as Robynn Balmediano, Bailey McLaughlin and Cairah Curran each singled and stole a base in the inning off starter Vanessa Strong.  Curran's hit tied the game at 1-all and Hazyl Gray delivered a 2-RBI single to give the Broncos a 3-1 lead. 
• The Broncos had a total of five stolen bases including a pair from McLaughlin.
• Santa Clara added an insurance run in the sixth when Gray led off the inning with a double and came home on Taryn Clements' grounder. 
• Gray went 3-for-3 as the top four Bronco hitters in the lineup - McLaughlin, Curran, Gray and Abigail Charpentier - hit a combined 7-for-12 with three runs scored and three driven in. 
• Strong (1-10) was the losing pitcher of record giving up four hits on eight hits over six innings. 
• Delaney Scully had two hits for Pacific. 
• In her last three starts, all complete game wins, Edwards has a 0.67 ERA over 21 innings. 

Game 2: Santa Clara 15 - Pacific 5

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Santa Clara scored a season-high 15 runs as Hazyl Gray drove in seven of those runs that included a pair of 3-run home runs and Avery Seva pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in relief to help Santa Clara (27-20, 6-4 WCC) to a 15-5 victory to secure the doubleheader sweep.
• Gray's home runs came in the first and the sixth innings for Santa Clara going 4-for-4 in the game.  SCU tallied 13 hits as four Broncos had multiple hit and RBI games. Bailey McLaughlin, Leiora Davidson and Morgan Salmon each had two hits while Cairah Curran, Davidson and Kyla Acres had two RBIs each. 
• In the fifth, with the game knotted at 5-all, Davidson delivered a clutch two out bases loaded double to score the go-ahead runs that put the Broncos ahead for good. 
• Santa Clara entered the fifth inning trailing 5-3.  Cairah Curran trimmed the lead with an RBI grounder and Abigail Charpentier drew a bases load walk to tie up the game before Davidson's two bagger. 
• The Broncos jumped to an early lead on Hazyl Gray's 3-run home run in the top of the first.  However, the Tigers quickly erased the deficit with a pair of runs in the home half of the first and took the lead with three runs in the second, knocking out Gray who started in the circle. 
• In the second, Pacific (16-35, 5-9 WCC) drew a couple of walks to start the inning followed by back-to-back doubles by Talissa Montez and Rian Dirmeyer to go up by two runs.  Seva (5-6) came in relief to record the final two outs while stranding a runner in scoring position.  From there on, the freshman allowed just three hits and a walk the rest of the way to earn her fifth win of the year. 
• Avery Croxall started in the circle for Pacific and gave up seven runs in 4 2/3 to drop to 7-3. 
• Montez and Dirmeyer had two hits apiece and combined to drive in four runs. 

• Santa Clara and Pacific are scheduled to play one game on Saturday, weather permitting.  Time is TBD.  Fans can find all schedule updates and live coverage links on the Broncos' schedule page as well as the Santa Clara softball twitter account.