How It Happened
Rhode Island (3-14) won in the state of California for the first time in program history as it split a doubleheader at Santa Clara to wrap up its seven-game West Coast trip Monday. The Rams used a 6-5 win in the opener to snap a six-game skid. However, Santa Clara (14-13) came back with a vengeance in the nightcap, winning 8-0 in five innings.

Game 1 - Rhode Island 6, Santa Clara 5
Rhode Island rallied from a four-run deficit to snap a six-game losing streak. The Rams trailed 4-0 through the first three innings before storming back.

Down 4-0 in the top of the fourth, Rhody put together a four-run rally with two outs in the top of the fourth. Rachel Zingerman singled to lead the inning off, but the next two batters were retired. Zingerman stole second and scored when Becca Zawistowksi singled and moved the second on the throw. Jessica Hennelly followed with a double to bring Zawistowksi in. Next it was Vicki Viaclovski's turn, as she doubled in Hennelly to make it a one-run game. After a pitching change, Cassie Swenson hit URI's third straight double, which allowed Viaclovski to come in and make it a 4-4 game.

Santa Clara retook the lead on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Bailey McLoughlin that brought in Regan Dias. URI again struck with two outs int the top of the fifth. With two down, Elena Gonzalez doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Kylie Bulinski was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. Mandi Hanewich came on to run at first, and she and Gonzalez executed a double steal, bringing in Gonzalez to tie the score.

An inning later, Leilyn Alvarez delivered a two-out single to drive in Viaclovski with the eventual winning run.

Santa Clara got its first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but Katie Zaun entered in relief and retired all three batters she faced. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Zaun got an infield popup and a strikeout to earn her first save with the Rams.

Game 2 - Santa Clara 8, Rhode Island 0 (5 inn.)
The Broncos made Rhode Island pay for walks and other miscues. Of the first five runs scored by Santa Clara, four of the runners reached via walks, hit batsmen or error.

It began in the bottom of the first, when each of the first three batters were walked to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly brought the first run in. All three runners tagged on the play, and Rhody's defense got the runner trying to go from first to second. However, this allowed a second run to come across, making the score 2-0. A solo home run by Morgan Salmon gave Santa Clara a 3-0 lead.

In the third, a fielding error and a hit batsman put the first two runners on base. Salmon roped a double to drive in the lead runner. After the next two batters were retired, Abigail Charpentier delivered a two-run single, making it a six-run deficit. Two more runs in the fourth inning put the eight-run rule in play, and Rhode Island was unable to get any runs across to extend the game.

Inside the Box Scores

• The victory in the first game was the first in program history in the state of California. The Rams had been 0-23 in the Golden State before Monday.
• Rhode Island had 11 hits in the first game. It was the fourth time in 17 games the Rams have had 10 hits or more. Last season, URI had 10 or more hits seven times in 46 games.
• All six runs the Rams scored in the first game came with two outs, and URI was 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the game.
• Sophomore Cameron Whiteford (1-0) picked up the win with 2.2 solid innings of relief in Game One. She allowed one run on two hits while keeping Rhody in the game.
• Sophomore Katie Zaun earned her first save for the Rams with a scoreless inning in the first game.
• Graduate student Elena Gonzalez continued to swing a hot bat. She doubled and singled in the opener while also scoring once. Gonzalez added a single in the second game.
• Senior Skyler Rapuano had two of URI's four hits in the second game. She raised her average to a team-high .355.
• Junior Vicki Viaclovsky doubled, singled, scored twice and drove in a run in the opener. It was her first multiple-hit game of the season.
• Senior Jessica Hennelly doubled, singled, walked, scored once and drove in one run on the day.
• Senior Cassie Swenson doubled, singled and drove in a run in the first game.
• Sophomore Leilyn Alvarez singled, stole and base and had one RBI in the first game.
• Senior Rachel Zingerman singled and scored in the first game.

What's Next
Rhode Island opens Atlantic 10 play when it visits George Washington for a three-game series that begins with a doubleheader on Saturday. All three games are scheduled to be streamed on ESPN+.