SANTA CLARA – Santa Clara kept their West Coast Conference title hopes alive with a 4-3 victory over Saint Mary's in the series opener on Thursday night at the sold out SCU Softball Stadium. The Broncos came back from two runs down and Cari Ferguson tossed a complete game to get within two games of first place Saint Mary's in the West Coast Conference standings with two left to play including Friday night's nationally televised game on ESPNU at 7 p.m. PT.
Santa Clara (26-23, 10-5 WCC) needs to win out the remaining games to give both teams an identical 13-5 league mark to share the co-championship with the Broncos getting the automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament with their head-to-head/series win. Saint Mary's (38-14, 13-3 WCC) needs to win one of the games to clinch the WCC title outright and get the automatic qualifier.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Ferguson threw an economical 94 pitches in her complete game effort, keeping the potent Saint Mary's (38-14, 13-3 WCC) lineup off balance for much of the game. The sophomore hurler scattered five hits, three runs, two earned, struck out eight and did not issue a walk. Three of the hits she allowed were to Sam Buckley.
- Saint Mary's drew first blood in the top of the fourth on Buckley's RBI single to left field that scored Hannah Ferguson and advanced to second on the throw to home. Buckley then swiped third and came around to score when Taryn Clements' throw on the stolen base attempt was muffed by Elle Merlino to make it 2-0 in favor of the Gaels.
- Santa Clara answered right away putting up three runs in the home half of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Rebecca Rubio led off with a sharp grounder up the middle that took a bad hop hitting the face of second baseman Alex Cutonilli who was forced to leave the game. Hazyl Gray reached on a fielder's choice when first baseman Taylor Lane elected to get the lead runner out at second but was safe. Taryn Clements moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt before Marie Martorella delivered a run scoring single through the left side cut the Gaels lead in half, 2-1. Gaels head coach Sonja Garnett elected to pull her starter Madline Haun in favor of ace Odhi Vasquez with the one run lead and runners at the corners.
- Martorella stole second off Vasquez but the throw from catcher Andrea De La Rosa sailed into the outfield to score Gray to tie the game as Martorella advanced to third. Vasquez who entered the game leading the WCC in strikeouts, fanned Robynn Baldemiano for the second out. But the next batter, Leiora Davidson, put the Broncos up by a run when she roped an RBI single to left field on a 2-2 count.
- The Broncos added an all important insurance run in the sixth for a two run lead. Gray led off the frame with a base hit, moved to second on Clements' second sacrifice of the game and came around to score when Martorella's line drive hit was booted by the right fielder Kiah Silva. It was the third defensive miscue for the Gaels. On the play, Gray had to hold up at second until the liner hit the ground and once the ball ricocheted off the leg of Silva, she scored the insurance run.
- That fourth run proved to be the difference when Buckley homered to dead center in the final inning to make it 4-3. It was Buckley's 11th home run of the season. With two outs, pinch hitter Lauren Tran got a base hit to represent the potential game-tying run, however, Ferguson got another pinch hitter Tori Cervantes to ground out for the final out, setting up Friday's national televised showdown.
- SCU got three hits each off of Haun and Vasquez. Haun dropped to 9-3 on the season.
- Ferguson improved to 12-10 with her 10th complete game of the year.
HIGHLIGHTS:
NEXT UP:
- Santa Clara hosts Saint Mary's in the penultimate game of the regular season on Friday at 7 p.m. The nationally televised game on ESPNU is sold out.
Connect with the Broncos on Social Media
Athletics: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Snapchat
Softball: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
