SAN DIEGO – A big day at the plate by Lauren Kane was not enough for San Diego as the Toreros dropped a pair of games against Santa Clara on Saturday afternoon at the USD Softball Complex.
 
USD (19-26, 3-8 WCC) dropped the first game of the day, 6-2, and could not keep pace with the Broncos (14-32, 6-5 WCC) offensively in the second game, falling 11-3 in six innings.
 
Kane did her part on offense, going 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and three RBIs in the two games.
 
However, Kane's big day at the plate was not enough to jumpstart the Toreros offense, which could not keep pace with the Broncos'.
 
Santa Clara racked up 17 runs on 22 hits and eight walks. The Toreros managed 19 hits but left eight runners stranded in the first game and seven in the second.
 
Taylor Spence produced a hit in each game to inch close to the program's career hits record. She has 229 career hits and needs three more to match Shaunna Collo's record of 232 set from 1997-2000.
 
The Toreros got off to a slow start in the first game, as the Broncos jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first 3 1/2 innings. USD got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Kane hit an RBI-double to right-center field to bring in Sophia Bjerk.
 
Santa Clara got the run back in the top of the fifth inning to retake a four-run advantage. Bjerk responded with an RBI single up the middle in the bottom half of the inning to pull the Toreros back to within three, 5-2.
 
That was as close as USD would get, however, as the Broncos added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to secure the 6-2 decision.
 
The Broncos struck first again in the second game, posting three runs in the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Toreros came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning, sparked by a leadoff single by Kelli Kufta, followed by a two-run homer by Kane. It was Kane's second home run of the season.
 
USD proceeded to load the bases following the homer and a sacrifice fly by Sara Silveyra leveled the score at 3-3.
 
The Toreros were ultimately undone in the next half inning when Santa Clara rallied for six runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a commanding 9-3 lead.
 
The Broncos added two more runs in the top of the sixth to take an eight-run advantage, 11-3. Santa Clara retired the side in order in the bottom half of the inning to seal the decision.
 
The Toreros will look to bounce back on Sunday in the series finale at noon PT. USD will honor its five seniors prior to the game during a ceremony at 11:40 a.m.