SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Back to conference play, the Gaels (23-18, 3-2 WCC)  dropped a tightly contested ballgame against the Santa Clara Broncos (23-19, 2-3 WCC), 2-1. The two squads matched each other pitch for pitch, but an unearned run proved to be the difference, with Broncos eking out game one of the four game set. 

Odhi Vasquez of the Gaels and Hannah Edwards of the Broncos locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel through four innings. The Broncos came close to denting the scoreboard twice, once in the first with two on an two away before Tori Cervantes made a diving play to her right and through out the batter from her knees to end the inning, and once in the bottom of the fourth, when Camille Lara caught a lazy fly ball to left and gunned out a runner at the plate attempting to score tagging up. 

 In the fifth, the Gaels would hit the scoreboard first, With one away in the fifth frame, Cervantes lifted a gapper to deep right center, legging out a triple, before coming around to score on a Camille Lara RBI groundout. Santa Clara would respond in the bottom half, when an error and a passed ball would plate the equalizer. 

The Broncos would string together three straight one out singles, plating the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, before the inning was ended on another brilliant diving stop by Cervantes. The Gaels needed one run to extend the game, but when down in order in the seventh to secure the Broncos victory. 

Odhi Vasquez worked the complete game in the losing effort, going six innings, surrendering just one earned run on five hits over 124 pitches thrown. Tori Cervantes was likely the Gaels second most outstanding player for the evening, logging the team's only extra base hit, scoring their only run, and making a pair of stellar plays on the infield. 

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