SAN DIEGO - San Diego softball (10-18, 2-1 WCC) clinched their first WCC series with a commanding 4-1 victory over Pacific (11-11-1, 1-2 WCC) in game three on Sunday morning.
 
The Toreros took a 3-1 lead in the first inning and never surrendered the advantage as Madison Earnshaw picked up her third win of the season. The right-hander went seven innings, giving up one run on three hits, allowing no walks and striking out four. Earnshaw faced 25 Pacific hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 11 fly balls.
 
Clareese Santiago led the way offensively for the Toreros, going 2-for-3 in the ballgame with a double and an RBI. Alexia Torculas also compiled a standout day at the plate as well, drawing two walks with an RBI.
 
Pacific got going early, tacking on one run in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly. The lone run would be the only one Earnshaw would surrender in seven innings of work.
 
The Toreros immediately responded, going through the entire lineup in the bottom of the first to score three runs. Malia Benson started things off with a leadoff walk as Simms got aboard on a fielder's choice. Sophia Bjerk loaded the bases with a walk before AJ Kaiser came through with a flair to center to tie it at one.
 
Torculas registered an RBI off a nine pitch at bat, drawing a walk to make it 2-1, San Diego. Right fielder Halle Kyler hit a rocket to center as Bjerk tacked on the third run of the inning.
 
The Tigers failed to push any runs across before the Toreros built on their lead in the third inning. San Diego pushed across a run on Santiago's two-out RBI double, which brought the score to 4-1 in favor of the Toreros. The advantage would hold as the Toreros went on to clinch the series.
 
San Diego will continue WCC play next weekend with a road trip to Los Angeles to face LMU on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18.
 
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.