SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball swept the doubleheader against Princeton at home on Monday, coming back from five runs down in the first game to win 8-7 in nine innings and run-ruled the second game 10-2 in five innings.
Game 1: Santa Clara 8 - Princeton 7 (9)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara (11-9) had an 8-7 walk-off victory in the ninth when Cairah Curran came around to score from second base on a fly ball to right fielder Courtney Harrison and a subsequent throwing error as she threw the ball back to the infield. On the play, Curran tagged up from second to third but seeing Harrison's throw short hop to the second baseman and under the glove, the speedster seized the moment and raced home for the game-winning run.
- It was the third run scored by Curran in the game who led off the ninth with a single and moved to second on Rebecca Rubios' sacrifice bunt before Hope Alley's fly ball.
- The Broncos got off to a rough start allowing three runs in the opening two frames to ball behind 6-1. However, the offense chipped away at Princeton's (4-8) lead and Hannah Edwards, who came in relief in the second inning kept the Broncos in the game.
- Edwards allowed just one run over the final 7 1/3 innings to earn the win and improve to 4-2 on the year.
- Santa Clara was able to take advantage of 10 walks and two hit by pitches from the Princeton pitching staff along with four errors. Five of the runs scored by SCU were the result of runners reaching base that way.
- The Broncos scored in seven of the nine frames including in the seventh inning when trailing 7-6. Leiora Davidson had a pinch-hit single to lead off the inning and was pinch run for by Caitlyn Golob. Down to their final out, Alley roped a double off the left center fence to plate Golob from first to send the game to extra innings.
Game 2: Santa Clara 10 - Princeton 2 (5)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Just as Princeton did in the first game, Santa Clara (12-9) came out swinging early to build an 8-0 lead after just two innings and added a pair of runs in the fourth to run rule the Tigers, 10-2 in five innings.
- In the home half of the first, Santa Clara sent 10 batters to the plate and banged out seven singles to plate five runs against starter Cassidy Shaw.
- The Broncos added three more runs on four hits in the second. Eleven of their 12 hits came in the first two innings. A total of nine Broncos had at least one hit led by Lauren Bryson who went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
- Avery Seva started in the circle and threw four innings to pick up her first win of the season.
- Sonia Zhang hit a solo home run for Princeton (4-9) in the third and Allie Goodwin had an RBI single in the fourth for the only runs against Seva.
- Shaw, who was the hard luck losing pitcher in the first game, also took the loss in the second game to fall to 3-4 on the season.
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