SAN DIEGO -- San Diego softball (12-11) secured an opening day sweep at the USD Tournament with a 2-1 win over Villanova, before securing a 5-0 shutout of Mount St. Mary's on Thursday afternoon at the USD Softball Complex.

Team offense generated both wins with nine different players registering at least one hit on the afternoon.
 
Senior Delaney Heller (6-9) started in the circle in game one against Villanova, and sophomore Madison Earnshaw (4-1) earned the shutout against the Mount.
 
GAME ONE - VILLANOVA
It was a closely contested ballgame, but San Diego's two-run fifth inning proved to be the difference, as the Toreros emerged victorious to knock off Villanova 2-1.
 
Heller went seven innings, giving up one run on four hits, allowing one walk and striking out one.
 
Freshman Clareese Santiago led the way offensively for the Toreros, going 1-for-2 in the ballgame with two RBIs. Senior Sara Silveyra put together a noteworthy effort as well, going 1-for-3 with a double.
 
Trailing 1-0, the Toreros first put runs on the board in the fifth inning.  Santiago drove in two runs for San Diego with a single, that scored pinch runner Elisa Princic and sophomore Kelli Kufta. The score remained 2-1 for the rest of the game, as the Toreros held on for the win.
 
GAME TWO - MOUNT ST. MARY'S
Earnshaw dealt a two-hit shutout to lead San Diego over Mount St. Mary's, 5-0. In seven innings, the right-hander gave up two hits, walking one and striking out seven.
 
The offense was also potent in the game as the Toreros drove four doubles to tie the season team-high.
 
Sophomore Kufta led the way offensively for the Toreros, going 1-for-2 in the ballgame with a home run, a walk and an RBI. Senior Madison Casiano put together a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and an RBI. Junior Hayley Hensley also contributed, going 1-for-3 for San Diego with a double and a walk.
 
San Diego got the scoring going early, putting runs on in the bottom of the first and never looked back. The Toreros plated two runs off a double from the bat of Casiano to drive in two for an early edge.
 
USD then tacked on runs in the second and sixth innings, with their biggest output coming in the sixth when they scored two times.  Santiago's run-scoring single highlighted the two-run frame.
 
The defense also worked to keep Villanova off the board as San Diego turned two double plays in the contest with putouts from Silveyra, Simms and Kufta. This marks the only contest so far in the 2020 campaign where the Toreros have turned more than one double play.
 
The Toreros are back in action on Friday with another matchup against both Mount St. Mary's and Villanova. Action gets underway at 1:30 p.m. (PT).
 
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