SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball got complete game victories from Hannah Edwards and Avery Seva while the bats got timely hits to sweep the midweek doubleheader against UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday.  

Game 1: Santa Clara 6 - UC Santa Barbara 5

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Santa Clara (19-14) trailed 5-2 heading to the top of the seventh but put up four runs including three on Hazyl Gray's bases clearing double to take the first game of the doubleheader 6-5 in dramatic fashion. 
• In the seventh, Gauchos starter Malaya Johnson retired the first batter but allowed four consecutive Bronco batters to reach base.  Abigail Charpentier and Cairah Curran singled, followed by a walk to Rebecca Rubio to load the bases.  Taryn Clements singled home Charpentier to cut the Gauchos lead to 5-3.  Johnson struck out Kyla Acres for the second out and got ahead of Hazyl Gray 1-2 on the count.  Down to the final strike of the game, Gray fouled off three straight pitches and on the seventh pitch, she stroked the ball to the right center gap to clear the bases and give the Broncos a 6-5 lead.  It was Gray's  third hit of the game in four at bats. 
• UC Santa Barbara (17-15) would not go down quietly in the home half of the seventh.  With two outs, Bronco starter Hannah Edwards put two runners on base with a hit bats woman and a walk putting the potential game-tying and the go-ahead runs on base.  However, the Bronco hurler got Giselle Mejia to fly out to end the game and snap the team's four game losing streak.
• Edwards finished the game strong keeping the Gauchos off the board in the final four innings after giving up five runs in the opening three frames.  She ended up with an eight-hit complete game to improve to 7-2 on the season.    
• Johnson allowed just two runs on seven hits and did not issue a walk through the first six innings as she was in control of the game until giving up four hits and a walk in the seventh.  She dropped to 10-5.  
• Alexa Sams and Jazzy Santos at the top of the UCSB order had two hits apiece and combined to scored three runs and drive in two runs.  
• The Gauchos scored three times on a sacrifice fly, two of them from Bella Fuentes in the first and the third innings.  Her first sacrifice fly gave the Gauchos a 2-0 lead. 
• Santa Clara cut the lead in half, 2-1, in the top of the second capitalizing on Acres' leadoff double as Lauren Bryson brought her home with a double of her own.
• UCSB put up two more runs in the second on Katie Terrazas' RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Sams.  They pushed the lead out to 5-1 on Fuentes' second sacrifice fly.  
• Bryson recorded her second RBI with a squeeze bunt in the fourth to get the Broncos within three runs.
• The Broncos lurked as the score remained 5-2 until Gray's heroics completed the comeback win.  

Game 2: Santa Clara 3 - UC Santa Barbara 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Avery Seva tossed an economical 88 pitch complete game in Santa Clara's 3-2 victory to sweep the doubleheader series.  
• Seva was exceptional in her second start of the season scattering seven hits and two runs for her first career complete game.  Four of the hits she allowed were to the leadoff batter but she did not allow any of them to cross the plate.  
• Rebecca Rubio, Hazyl Gray and Leiora Davidson each drove in a run to support Seva.  
• In the third, Rubio brought home Cairah Curran with a single.  Rubio moved to third on a wild pitch and a hit by Taryn Clements before scoring on Gray's grounder to put the Broncos up 2-0. 
• UC Santa Barbara (17-16) cut the lead in half in the fourth on Emily Carr's sacrifice fly plating Gissele Mejia who tripled earlier in the inning.
• Santa Clara (20-14) got their two run cushion back when Leiora Davidson doubled in a run in the fifth.  Davidson's RBI proved to be the difference as Tehya Banks hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to get the Gauchos within a run.  Seva stayed in the game and induced a game-ending grounder to pinch hitter Delaina Ma'ae for the final out.  

NEXT UP:

• Santa Clara opens West Coast Conference play on the road with a three game series against San Diego starting April 5.       

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