Santa Clara was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They fell just short of the Palo Alto Vikings by a score of 16-14. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Santa Clara of the 9-8 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in March.
Averie Lopez was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last four games she's played. Cita (Analisa) Chavez was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.
Even though they lost, Santa Clara kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
On Palo Alto's side, Kira Tzeng spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and ten unearned) runs on nine hits.
At the plate, Palo Alto got a massive performance out of Hana Foster, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was Kendall Butler, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4.
Santa Clara's defeat dropped their record down to 7-12. As for Palo Alto, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-8-1.
Santa Clara will stay at home for another game and welcome Lynbrook at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Santa Clara is facing Lynbrook at the right time seeing as Lynbrook is stuck on a seven-game losing streak. As for Palo Alto, they will head out on the road to challenge Saratoga at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Palo Alto is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
