CORVALLIS, Ore. – Santa Clara softball split the doubleheader against Oregon State to set the program record for the most wins in a singles season with 31 but they dropped half a game behind Saint Mary's in the West Coast Conference standings on Friday.  

Just as Santa Clara's first game was getting underway, Saint Mary's defeated LMU, 8-3, in their lone game to eliminate both LMU and Oregon State from WCC championship contention.  

The Broncos lost the first game 2-1 before bouncing back to take the second game 4-1 and now sits in second place at 10-4 with one game remaining against Oregon State, playing tomorrow at 1 p.m.  The Gaels are 10-3 and they play a doubleheader against LMU starting at 11 a.m.

The magic number to clinch the WCC championship for both Santa Clara and Saint Mary's is at two. 

Game 1: Oregon State 2 - Santa Clara 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Oregon State (24-21, 7-6 WCC) earned a 2-1 come-from-behind victory on solo home runs by Madison Weir and Jaeya Butler along with a four-hit complete game effort from Logan Hulon.  
• The round trippers by Weir and Butler came in the fifth and sixth innings off Bronco starter Cari Ferguson who maintained a 1-0 advantage through the first four frames.  
• Santa Clara (30-20, 9-4 WCC) scored first in the top of the third on Hope Alley's single to plate Caitlyn Golob from third.  Golob reached on an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Weir on the steal attempt.
• SCU had an opportunity to pad their lead in the fifth when they loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Golob and Cairah Curran and a hit batsman.  However, Hulon struck out Hazyl Gray to get out of the jam.  It was one of eight strikeouts for Hulon who gave up four hits and walked three.  The one run she gave up was unearned as she moved above .500 to 13-12 on the year.  
• The Beavers evened the game in the fifth on Weir's solo home run, sneaking the ball just inside the left field foul pole.  It was the first home run given up by Ferguson in a conference game spanning 42 1/3 innings.  
• The next inning, Butler led off with the go-ahead home run to centerfield.  Ferguson walked the next batter and was replaced by Hannah Edwards who retired the side to keep it a one run game.  The loss snapped Ferguson's four-game win streak with all those wins coming against WCC opponents.  
• In the seventh, Santa Clara put two runners on base with one out but were unable to come through grounding out twice against Hulon to end the game.  

Game 2: Santa Clara 4 - Oregon State 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Taryn Clements came through with a clutch two RBI single in the top of the seventh to break a 1-all tie and Hannah Edwards threw a gritty complete game to lift the Broncos to a 4-1 victory in the second game.  It was the 31st win this season for Santa Clara (31-20, 10-4 WCC) to set a program record for the most wins in a single season.  They had previously won 30 games in 2003, 2004 and 2024.  It was also the 10th WCC victory, also setting a program high eclipsing last year's mark of nine.  
• Edwards and Ellie Garcia were locked in a pitchers duel with each hurler giving up a run in the first six innings.  
• In the first, Rebecca Rubio worked a 10-pitch walk against Garcia and stole second before coming home on Hazyl Gray's single to left to open up the scoring.
• Oregon State (24-22, 7-7 WCC) tied it up in the sixth, stringing together three straight hits to open the sixth.  Lici Campbell drove in the game-tying run singling home Morgan Howey who started the inning with a double.  The Beavers had runners at first and second with no out but Edwards hunkered down to retire the next three batters to get out of the inning and keep things knotted at 1-1.  
• Cairah Curran led off the top of the seventh with a single, her 77th base knock of the season to break the WCC single season hit mark held by BYU's Gordy Bravo (2015).  Hope Alley was hit by a hit for the third time on the day and Gray followed with a single to load the bases to set the stage for Clements' clutch hit.  The sophomore catcher poked the ball through the right side to bring home Curran and Alley.  Robynn Balmediano added an insurance run with a fielder's choice RBI.   
• Edwards gave up five hits, walked four and struck out six in her fourth complete game of the season to improve to 9-5.  
• Garcia dropped to 11-10, allowing four runs on 10 hits and a walk.  

NEXT UP:

• Santa Clara and Oregon State close out the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT.           

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