MORAGA, Calif. — After picking up a series win against San Diego last weekend, Saint Mary's softball set their sights on Santa Clara, looking to make it back-to-back West Coast Conference series wins to open the season. They did so in thrilling fashion on Saturday, shutting out the Broncos in game one with a 3-0 final, before coming from behind to win a thriller in 8-7 fashion to close out the day. Saint Mary's now sits at 13-17 (4-1), their best start in conference action since the 2019 season.
 
Game 1: Saint Mary's 3, Santa Clara 0
 
WOLVERTON CONTINUES TO WOW
Avrey Wolverton is in some kind of groove in the circle right now. The sophomore pitcher tossed her fourth-consecutive complete game, and her second-consecutive shutout in the victory. She needed just 97 pitches to get her fourth win of the season, holding the Broncos to just four hits and three walks. The Broncos were able to get runners on against her early in the game, but they were erased on base-running mistakes by SCU. Still, it came down to the top of the seventh, when the Broncos got a one-out single and walk to bring up the tying run. With two down in the inning, Wolverton walked a hitter on a 3-2 count to load the bases. She got a first-pitch pop out to end the game and secure the shutout, running her streak of innings without allowing an earned run to 23.2.
 
THE FERGUSON AND LANE SHOW
The bulk of the Saint Mary's offense came from Hannah Ferguson and Taylor Lane, who combined to go 5-6 in game one of the doubleheader, with both of the RBIs. Ferguson opened up the game in the bottom of the first by launching her first collegiate home run, a blast to right that made it 1-0. In the third, Ferguson singled to left with just one out and eventually came around to score with two outs on a base hit from Lane, which was her second of the game at the time. It was Lane's spot in the order that eventually scored the final run, which came in the sixth. A leadoff single from Lane brought Marissa Montelongo off the bench to run for her. Taylor Keinath singled her to second, and then Alex Casas walked to load the bases. Montelongo was driven in when Claudia Kirchner got hit by a pitch, and that was all the Gaels needed.
 
Game 2: Saint Mary's 8, Santa Clara 7
 
HOW THEY FELL BEHIND
The Broncos got on the board first in game two and it looked like they might run away with the game. They scored twice in the first, on a wild pitch and a throwing error, and then added on four more runs in the third. The third inning exploded with a three-run double by Allyson Ferreira, which seemed like it could be the dagger. Kailey O'Connor did not get an out in the third inning, so the Gaels turned to Odhi Vasquez to try and settle things down.
 
HOW THE COMEBACK STARTED
Down 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Gaels needed a big inning, and they got just that. They loaded the bases with nobody out after singles from Taylor Keinath and Jenavee Amador, before Tori Cervantes was hit by a pitch. With one out in the inning, the first run scored on a wild pitch. The second run scored when Lindsay Cabral hit a grounder to third that went under the glove of the Bronco playing third base, plating two more runs. With the score 6-4, Hannah Ferguson stayed hot and put the pressure on, scoring a run with a two-out triple to left center, making it 6-5 and giving the Gaels plenty of light.
 
HOW THE COMEBACK ENDED
Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth, the Gaels capped off the comeback and then some. Cervantes led off with a single, Claudia Kirchner was hit by a pitch, and then Cabral was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Rylee Gomez came into the game as a pinch hitter and delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 7-6, but more importantly, it also moved up both additional runners. Ferguson proved to be a thorn in the side of the Broncos again, sending a ball through the left side for her fifth hit of the day, scoring two runs and completing the comeback, giving the Gaels an 8-7 lead.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will go for the series sweep of the Broncos tomorrow at noon, with just one game on the schedule. Saint Mary's is now in second place in the WCC standings after BYU lost both games to LMU yesterday. A win would put the Gaels in a tie for first in the WCC standings with LMU.