SAN DIEGO – In the West Coast Conference doubleheader opener on Saturday, Santa Clara softball got shutout efforts from Cari Ferguson and Hannah Edwards to sweep San Diego at the newly opened Reggie Smith Softball Complex.  It is the first time the Broncos opened WCC play with two wins since the league established softball play in 2014.  
 
Game 1: Santa Clara 5 - San Diego 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Freshman Cari Ferguson threw a six-hit shutout and Hazyl Gray drove in four runs in Santa Clara's 5-0 victory over San Diego in the West Coast Conference opening game in the frontend of the doubleheader.  
• It was the first career shutout for Ferguson as she scattered six hits, walked one and struck out one to improve to 4-8 on the season.  She lowered her season ERA to 2.60.
• Gray went 3-for-4 including a three-run home run and an RBI single to lead a balanced hitting attack for SCU with eight of the nine starters producing a hit.  The Broncos (21-14, 1-0 WCC) had 12 hits as Hope Alley and Taryn Clements each had two.  
• In the third inning, Gray, the reigning WCC Player of the Year, blasted one deep to dead center over the 220 feet fence to put the Broncos up 4-0.  An inning earlier Abigail Charpentier singled with the bases loaded to score Clement who led off the inning with a double for the first run ever at the new softball facility.  
• Joecellia Roberts had two of the six hits for San Diego (16-19, 0-1 WCC).  Kelsey Tadlock suffered the loss.  In her start, she gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings.  Emma Giaime pitched well in relief allowing just one run the rest of the way.  

Game 2: Santa Clara 5 - San Diego 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Graduate student Hannah Edwards followed Cari Ferguson's gem in the first game with a shutout of her own, holding San Diego to three hits in the 5-0 win to sweep the doubleheader.  
• Edwards and Toreros starter McKenna Braegelmann kept it a scoreless game through the first three frames before Hope Alley blasted a leadoff solo shot in the top of the fourth.  Alley sent an 1-1 offering from Braegelmann over the left field fence to break the scoreless deadlock.  
• Santa Clara (22-14, 2-0 WCC) added four runs in the sixth to give Edwards some cushion.  Leiora Davidson brought in two runs with a bases loaded single to make it 3-0.  Charpentier's RBI grounder followed by a Toreros fielding error pushed the lead out to five runs.  
• Edwards struck out five and gave up a pair of walks and hit by pitches each to pick up her eight win of the season.  She entered the game leading the league with a 2.60 ERA along with Ferguson but moved to sole position lowering it to 2.36.  
• Braegelmann took the loss for San Diego (16-20, 0-2 WCC) and fell to 1-4 on the year despite pitching well.  She allowed just one hit, the home run to Alley, over five innings but relievers Kaitlyn Bartlow and Kelsey Tadlock each gave up two runs.  

NEXT UP:

• Santa Clara and San Diego close out the series on Sunday with a single game.       

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