Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. â€" The USD softball team (21-26, 7-4) continued their hot streak with a pair of 5-1 wins at Santa Clara Saturday afternoon. Megan Sabbatini and Grace Hernandez held the Broncos to just two runs on seven hits and Lauren Kane provided the offense, with a home run and four RBI.

After starting the WCC season 0-3, the Toreros have won seven of their past eight conference games to keep pace with BYU (7-2), who swept Pacific over the weekend. The Toreros host the Cougars for their final series of the season.

SAN DIEGO 5, SANTA CLARA 1

The Toreros scored at least one run in each of the first three innings and due the pitching staff's dominance, that would be all the scoring the Toreros would need.

In the first inning, with runners on first and third, freshman Lauren Kane hit a RBI single through the left side to give the Toreros an early lead.

In the second, the Toreros capitalized on two Bronco errors to score two more runs.

Tatum Schultz led off the third with a single to leftfield. Two batters later, senior Danielle Mavridis hit a two run home run to left field, giving USD a comfortable 5-0 lead.

The Broncos lone run came in the bottom of the fourth on a RBI double to right center.

Megan Sabbatini (13-15) allowed just one run on two hits in five innings while striking out eight and walking one batter. Grace Hernandez came in for the last two innings and faced the minimum six batters, striking out three.

SAN DIEGO 5, SANTA CLARA 1

Lauren Kane's standout freshman campaign continued in the third inning when she blasted a three run home run to left field to bring home Olivia Sandusky and Kailey Hill. Kane now has a team-high nine home runs (T-4th most in a season) and 38 RBI (T-7th most).

The Broncos cut in to the lead in the fourth inning with a RBI double.

The Toreros scored a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning. The first came on a Mary Grabowski RBI double to right center to score Tatum Schultz. Grabowski is hitting .471 in WCC games. The second USD run came from senior Sierra Berryessa, who plated Grabowski with an infield single.

Sabbatini earned another win (14-15) after pitching four innings of one run ball. She allowed just two hits and is now 7-3 with a 2.54 ERA in WCC games. Grace Hernandez was in lockdown mode once again in relief; pitching the final three innings unscathed while striking out four Broncos to pick up her third save of the season. The Toreros stranded ten Broncos on base.

The Toreros go for the sweep Sunday at noon.