SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara softball defeated Cal for the first time in program history as part of a two win day at the Silicon Valley Classic Tournament on Saturday. The Broncos had been 0-83 against the Bears dating back to at least 1980 when they first played each other. But on Saturday, behind the stellar pitching of Ellison Schroeder and an offensive outburst in the first inning, Santa Clara finally broke the streak with an 8-4 victory. SCU took down UC Santa Barbara in the second game with a 9-1 mercy-rule win.
Game 1: Santa Clara 8 - Cal 4
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara (5-4) jumped to an early lead scoring four runs in the opening frame against Cal starter Taylor Peacock. The top of the order served as the table setters for the Broncos with Cairah Curran, Rebecca Rubio and Hazyl Gray combining to go 7-for-10 with six runs, while the middle of the order - Gray, Taryn Clements, Leiora Davidson and Kyla Acres - drove in seven runs.
- The Bronco lineup battered Peacock (0-1) scoring two more runs in the third on an RBI hit by Davidson and a run scoring grounder from Acres to push the lead out to 6-0.
- Schroeder threw a seven inning complete game, giving up a pair of runs each in the fourth and seventh innings. She had nine strikeouts to earn her first career win.
- Anaya Togia had four of the 10 hits for the Bears (3-6) including a two-run home run in the seventh. With the Broncos lead down to four runs at 8-4, Cal drew a pair of walks after Togia's round tripper and had the potential game-tying run on deck but Schroeder got Madison Rey to strikeout to end the game and secure the win over the Bears.
- Gator Robinson drove in the other two runs on a double for Cal.
Game 2: Santa Clara 9 - UC Santa Barbara 1 (5)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara (6-4) bats remained hot, scoring three runs in each of the first three innings and Cari Ferguson threw another complete game, her fourth of the season, in the Broncos 9-1 mercy-rule win in five innings.
- The top half of the lineup drove in eight of the nine runs. Cairah Curran, Rebecca Rubio and Kyla Acres had two RBIs apiece while freshman Cienna Kowaleski had her first career hits and an RBI.
- In her five innings of work, Ferguson scattered six hits and an unearned run while walking two and striking out six.
- Curran scored a game-high three runs including on a double steal of home with Rubio swiping second.
NEXT UP:
- Santa Clara plays Washington at 12:30 p.m. PT on the final day at the Silicon Valley Classic tournament on Sunday. The Cal-Illinois State game will precede the Bronco game starting at 10 a.m.
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