SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Through three games of this four game set between the Saint Mary's Gaels (24-19, 4-3 WCC) and the Santa Clara Broncos (24-20, 3-4 WCC), the Broncos had done an excellent job keeping the Gaels bats at bay. That said, in game three of the series, and game two of today's doubleheader, Mia Nishikawa took matters into her own hands, tossing a complete game shutout to salvage the doubleheader split, and push the Gaels to playing for the series split tomorrow. The Gaels dropped game one today to the Broncos 5-3, before rallying back to take game two 3-0. 

GAME ONE: SCU 5 - SMC 3
Just like yesterday, the Gaels hit the scoreboard first, when Sam Buckley punched a two out single to left with Marissa Montelongo standing on third to push SMC ahead 1-0. Starter Avrey Wolverton kept the scoreline at 1-0 through four, hanging up zeroes in each of the first four frames. 

The wheels fell off in the bottom of the fifth for the Gaels, as the Broncos logged three straight hits to open up the inning, including a two RBI double to take the lead and chase Wolverton from the game in favor of Odhi Vasquez. Vasquez did allow the inherited runner to score, bringing the scoreline to 3-1. Vasquez would retire the first two batters she faced in the sixth, but then a string of three straight two out hits netted two more runs for Santa Clara. These two insurance runs would prove to be crucial. 

In need of four runs to extend the contest, the Gaels began the long uphill climb back in the seventh. Ashley Ortiz worked a pinch hit walk, batting for Tori Cervantes, who re-entered to run for Ortiz at first. That was followed by an Odhi Vasquez single, as she would then be pinch run for by Gracie Carpenter. With two on and one out, Coach Garnett would again shuffle the deck, bringing Claudia Kirchner on to pinch hit for Camille Lara in the nine hole. Behind 1-2, Kirchner sent one back up the middle, plating Cervantes from second for her first RBI of the season. Lara then re-entered to run for Kirchner. The brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Hannah Ferguson. Ferguson ripped her third hit of the day into shallow center, scoring Carpenter, however, Lara got a little over aggressive trying to go first to third, and was hung out to dry by the Broncos center fielder. The Gaels went from having the go-ahead run come to the plate with one out, to having the tying run come to the plate with two away. Marissa Montelongo did work a walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of Taylor Lane, but she would hit one on the ground to second to end the contest, as the Broncos took it 5-3. 

Hannah Ferguson went 3-for-4 at the plate, surpassing the fifty hit mark on the season, and bringing her career batting average to an astonishing 0.305, good for ninth best in program history at the time. Marissa Montelongo swiped her 30th bag of the season, making her one of only three Gaels to steal 30 or more bases in a single season. She also moved to a tie for third in all-time stolen bases, as she has swiped 54 in her Gael career. 

GAME TWO: SMC 3 - SCU 0
Facing Mia Nishikawa for the first time in the series, the Broncos had no answer for the finesse pitching freshman, who tossed a complete game, three hit shutout. As usual, Nishikawa's stuff was not overpowering, as she did not record a single strikeout, but her mix of speeds and pitch positions kept the Santa Clara lineup off balance all game. 

The Gaels offense was also stifled through the first four innings of this one, but got on the board in the fifth. Victoria Castillo singled to lead off the inning and took a big turn around first, drawing an errant throw from the Broncos shortstop, advancing her to second. She tagged and moved up to third on a deep flyout to right from Odhi Vasquez, before Lindsay Cabral dropped down a perfectly placed bunt, scoring Catillo and ending the scoreless draw. 

The Gaels would add two more insurance runs, one in the sixth and one in the seventh. With one out in the sixth, the Gaels would load the bases on Sam Buckley and Victoria Castillo singles sandwiching a Jenavee Amador walk. Vasquez then stepped up to the plate and lifted what would have been an RBI single out to left, however, the Gaels runners had to hold up and while Buckley scored from third, Amador was erased at third, scoring it as an RBI fielder's choice for Odhi. In the seventh with two outs, Claudia Kirchner was hit by a pitch pinch hitting for Marissa Montelongo. Montelngo re-entered, stole second, and came around to score on a Taylor Lane flare single to right. 

Nishikawa's only trouble came in the bottom of the seventh, when the first two runners reached, bringing the tying run to the plate, but she danced out of danger to retire the next three and preserve her fourth complete game shutout of the season, fifth most in a single season in program history. 

It was another multi-hit ballgame for Ferguson, who now has three in her last four contests. Montelongo swiped another bag, bringing her to 31 on the season, eight short of the program single season record. The 24th win marked the most by a Gaels squad since 2012. 

The Gaels will take on the Broncos in search of the series split tomorrow starting at noon. 

#GaelsRise