HONOLULU – Santa Clara softball took home the Bank of Hawai'i Paradise Classic Championship with two wins on the final day of the tournament on Saturday. In the first game, the Broncos rallied from four runs down to defeat Saint Louis 6-4 to advance to the evening's championship game. Santa Clara faced Hawai'i in the championship game and took down the host school 3-0. SCU finished the three day tournament with a 3-2 record and a win against each of the three participating schools - Saint Louis, Southern Indiana and Hawai'i.
Cairah Curran won the MVP of the tournament going 11-for-19 (.579 BA), scoring five runs and driving in six RBIs, returning to her home state. Hazyl Gray and Rebecca Rubio were named to the All-Tournament team, respectively. Gray threw 10 shutout innings including 5 1/3 in the championship game and Rubio batted .333
Santa Clara 6 - Saint Louis 4
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lauren Bryson's first career home run capped off a Santa Clara rally in the 6-4 win over Saint Louis to send the Broncos to the Championship game of the Bank of Hawai'i Paradise Classic.
- Santa Clara (2-2) fell behind 4-0 but chipped away with two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game before Bryson's two-run shot put them ahead.
- Tied at 4-all in the sixth, Billikens pitcher Isabel Royle retired the first two batters but gave up a single to Hope Alley ahead of Bryson's at-bat who sent the ball over the left field fence for the go-ahead home run.
- Hannah Edwards pitched brilliantly in relief giving up just two hits and retiring the last 12 batters she faced to earn her first win of the season.
- The Billikens got on the board first, scoring four runs on four hits and a pair of walks in the top of the third. With the bases loaded, Jane Kaniecki singled in a run, Abby Mallo plated two with a double and Anna Christ added another run with a base knock. The last two hits came off Hannah Edwards but all four runs were charged to the starter Alaina Valdez.
- Trailing by four runs, SCU cut the lead in half with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Curran led off with a single and came around to score on a throwing error by Royle on Rebecca Rubio's sacrifice bunt. Taryn Clements brought home Rubio with a single to make it 4-2.
- Curran tied the game up at 4-all in the fifth with a 2-RBI triple. It was her seventh hit in the last eight at-bats playing back home on the islands.
- Royle went the distance for Saint Louis (1-3) and dropped to 0-3 on the year.
Santa Clara 3 - Hawai'i 0
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Hazyl Gray and Cari Ferguson combined for a shutout and timely hitting lifted Santa Clara to a 3-0 victory over Hawai'i in the championship game of the Paradise Classic tournament. The Rainbow Wahine (4-1) dropped their first game of the season after coming into the game undefeated at 4-0.
- Gray picked up her second win of the tournament scattering four hits, a walk and striking out four over 5 1/3 innings before giving way to Ferguson in the sixth.
- Ferguson earned her first collegiate save retiring all five batter she faced.
- Santa Clara stranded six runners on base in the first three innings but broke through with a run in fourth. Abigail Charpentier led off the frame with a double and moved over to third on Mariah Montalvo's sacrifice bunt before coming home on Caitlyn Golob's sacrifice fly.
- The Broncos added insurance runs in the top of the sixth. With two runners on, Cairah Curran delivered an RBI single to push the lead to 2-0. It was her second hit of the game and 11th in the tournament to go along with six RBIs. Gray helped her cause with an RBI sacrifice fly to put the Broncos up by three runs.
- Addison Kostrencich threw 3 2/3 frames and gave up the initial run to drop to 2-1 on the season.
- Curran, Rebecca Rubio, Taryn Clements and Golob each had two hits while Liliana Thomas had the only multi-game for UH.
NOTES:
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Bank of Hawai'i Paradise Classic All-Tournament Team
Natalie Sullivan, Saint Louis
Chloe Borges, Hawai'i
Caroline Stapleton, Southern Indiana
Jamie McGaughey, Hawai'i
Kayara-Leigh Tuiloma
Tallor Hochman, Saint Louis
Kennedy Nalley, Southern Indiana
Josie Newman, Southern Indiana
Most Valuable Pitcher - Addison Kostrencich
HIGHLIGHTS:
NEXT UP:
- Santa Clara will co-host the Silicon Valley Classic I tournament along with San Jose State from Friday to Sunday. A total of eight games will be played at the Santa Clara Softball Stadium with the Broncos playing in five of them. Click here to purchase tickets.
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