GREELEY, Colo. – Santa Clara softball offense remained hot in Saturday's sweep of Northern Colorado, banging out 25 hits to beat the Bears 6-5 in the first game and 9-5 in the second to extend their win streak to five games. During the streak, the Broncos have scored a total of 46 runs. The Broncos have now won eight of their last nine games while the Bears have dropped 11 straight.
Game 1: Santa Clara 6 - Northern Colorado 5
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara (17-10) scored four runs in the sixth and got the go-ahead run in the seventh to erase a 5-1 deficit to defeat Northern Colorado 6-5 in the first game of the doubleheader.
- The Bronco bats came alive in the sixth with six straight hits to open the inning. Taryn Clements singled in two runs to make it 5-3 and Robynn Balmediano laced an RBI single to get the Broncos within a run at 5-4. Lauren Bryson tied things up with a well executed bunt single to plate Hazyl Gray that knotted the game up at 5-all.
- In the top half of the seventh, Santa Clara loaded the bases with a pair of singles by Hope Alley and Clements while Gray reached on an error against reliever Grace Algrim who entered the game to start the inning. Balmediano hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Alley to go up 6-5.
- Northern Colorado (7-20) had the potential game-tying runner at second base in the bottom of the seventh but Gray came in relief of Kendal Manley to retire the final two batters to earn her first save of the season.
- Through the first four frames, SCU was only able to muster one hit, a double by Abigail Charpentier, against Bears starter Isabelle Dinapoli as UNC built a 3-0 lead. Nya Chacon had a two-run home run in the bottom of the second off Broncos starter Hannah Edwards and Katie Thomson stole home in the fourth.
- Charpentier hit a solo home run in the fifth to make it 3-1 but Northern Colorado pushed the lead out by four runs on Amailee Morales' two-run homer in the home half of the inning.
- Kendal Manley tossed two scoreless innings to earn her first win as a Bronco while Algrim took the loss.
- Santa Clara ended with 11 total hits with Alley, Clements and Charpentier each recording two hits.
Game 2: Santa Clara 9 - Northern Colorado 5
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara (18-10) scored six runs in the top of the fourth to take command of the game en route to a 9-5 win.
- The Broncos banged out 14 hits as each starter had at least one hit. Leiora Davidson had a team-high three hits to go along with two RBIs that gave the team the lead of good.
- Trailing 3-2 in the top half of the fourth, the Broncos sent 10 batters to the plate. They had six hits including a two-run single by Davidson to go up 4-3. Caitlyn Golob drove in a run and Rebecca Rubio brought home two runs with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch to complete the six run inning.
- Hazyl Gray hit a solo home run in the fifth to make it 9-3 to help her cause in the circle where she tossed 4 2/3 innings to pick up the win.
- Northern Colorado (7-21) had eight of their 11 hits against Gray. Krista Francia and Ella Gonzalez each had RBI base hits in the bottom of the first to give the Bears a 2-1 lead. In the third, Sabrina Javorsky had a solo homer to put UNC up 3-2 before the big inning by the Broncos.
- The Bears trimmed the Broncos lead to 9-5 in the sixth on Gonzalez's two-run home run.
NEXT UP:
- Santa Clara and Northern Colorado play another doubleheader on Sunday starting at 9 a.m. PT.
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