Walk Offs and Winners and Records, Oh My!
Baseball wins in a walk off, soccer clinches conference title, track and field breaks records
We are a third of the way through spring quarter, and several Broncos are stampeding their way through 2021.
Between a walk-off win, a West Coast Conference (WCC) clinch and a new school record, Santa Clara’s own have dominated their respective sports. Here are some of the most exciting storylines from last week’s action.
Men’s Baseball Wins in Walk Off Fashion
The Broncos went into Sunday’s dual against cross-town rival University of San Francisco (USF) with a 4-7 record. After dropping the first two games of the three-game series, Santa Clara hoped to bounce back with a win at home.
Well, they did that and then some.
After trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth, redshirt senior Mike Bowes crushed a three-run, walk-off homer to overcome the Dons 9-7. It was Bowes’ second home run of the day and his third hit of the game. He touched all the bags and was greeted at home plate by a bundle of Broncos.
“It was a special moment that I will remember for a long time,” said Bowes. “Emotions hit me as I rounded third and saw my teammates [waiting] at home. Truly surreal.”
This victory ended USF’s eight-game winning streak. Santa Clara got the spark they needed for a road trip against St. Mary’s College this weekend.
Women’s Soccer Clinches West Coast Conference Title
Queue Queen’s “We Are the Champions” for Broncos soccer.
Santa Clara women’s soccer won the WCC title for the 11th time in program history and received an automatic bid to the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), their sixth time in seven years. They are ranked No. 13 in the nation, and this year’s squad vies for national hardware.
Senior Julie Doyle will appear in her fourth NCAA Tournament as a Bronco. This is the first time in her college career that Santa Clara has a chance to win a first round bid.
“I have been a part of some really good Santa Clara soccer teams over the years,” said Doyle. “But this team is special. Although we won the WCC Championship, we still have [work to do].”
Punching a ticket to the national tournament is all too familiar for the Broncos, but this year’s journey looked a bit different. Due to the postponement of the 2020 campaign to the spring of 2021, teams’ schedules were shortened and many games across the country were canceled altogether. Santa Clara still went 7-0 in conference play.
Earlier this season, Santa Clara traveled to powerhouse Brigham Young University and beat the Cougars on their home turf in snowy conditions. They also posted a come-from-behind win against Pepperdine University, a feat the Broncos haven’t accomplished since 1999.
“The way this team perseveres and doesn’t give up is incredible,” said Doyle. “I have a feeling we’ll go far in the tournament because of how we overcome adversity.”
The first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament is scheduled to kick off on April 27th.
Track and Field Sets New Records
Records are meant to be broken, even if they’re your own.
Santa Clara track and field’s Alex Scales bested his own personal record in the 800 meter-dash at the Azusa Pacific Invitational & Distance Carnival. He shaved more than two seconds off his previous mark (1:52.9), clocking a time of 1:49.86 last Saturday. His time ranks 21st in the Western region and 34th in the country.
Sophomore Hayley Harrison posted the top finish of the night on the women’s side with a personal record (PR) of her own. She ran the 5,000 meters (5K) in 17:26.21, a 56 second PR. This mark earned her the eighth spot on Santa Clara’s top-10 list for the 5K.
“The [5,000 meters] was one of the last races of the meet, and I could feel that it was the perfect day to run fast,” said Harrison. “That PR felt like the beginning of something special.”