Ticket Punched! Gaels Secure Outright West Coast Conference Title and Automatic Bid to NCAA Regional with 3–2 Win over Broncos 

For the second time in three years, the Saint Mary’s Softball program is dancin’! With a well-earned 3–2 victory over Santa Clara at the Broncos’ home turf on Friday night, the Gaels secured the West Coast Conference Title outright and punched their ticket to the third NCAA Regional in program history and second in three years. 

Tori Cervantes and Taylor Lane got the Gaels on the board early, as each senior drove in a run in the second. But it was Hannah Ferguson in the seventh who provided the game-winning hit. Pitching for the Gaels, Odhi Vasquez went the distance, surrendering just two runs on four hits while fanning eight, picking up her 50th career win. 

Saint Mary’s had already earned at least a share of the WCC Title during their final homestand last weekend with a victory over LMU. The three-game series in Santa Clara this week gave SMC the opportunity to claim sole possession of the title. After losing one to the Broncos on Thursday, with Friday’s win Saint Mary’s has locked up the title outright. 

Thursday: The Battle Is Joined

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For the first game in the series, the epic Bay Area West Coast Conference rivalry between Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s delivered another exciting chapter on Thursday evening at the Santa Clara Softball Stadium, when the Broncos narrowly outlasted the Gaels 4–3. The Gaels took an early 2–0 lead, but the Broncos came storming back to pull ahead 4–2. Saint Mary’s battled to the bitter end, getting the tying run on base in the seventh, but stranded her on first to end the contest. 

Sam Buckley accounted for just about every bit of the Gaels’ offense, going three-for-three at the plate with a home run, a pair of RBIs, and a pair of runs scored. That home run was her 29th career round-tripper, a program record. Hannah Ferguson extended her hitting streak to 10 games and tied the program record for single season runs scored, reaching home on a Buckley RBI. And Lauren Tran recorded a seventh inning single to keep the Gaels’ hopes alive late. 

Madeline Haun started at pitcher for the Gaels and worked the first three innings scoreless before running into some trouble in the fourth, allowing three runs, two of which were earned. Odhi Vasquez relieved her out of the pen, and went the final 2.2 frames, surrendering an unearned run, while recording five of her eight outs via strikeout. 

Victory Is Ours

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For Friday’s game, Saint Mary’s (39–14, 14–3 WCC) hit the scoreboard first in the top of the second. Braxton Brown worked a one-out seven-pitch walk to start things off, and was advanced to second on a groundout by Andrea De La Rosa. Earning her first start of the series, Tori Cervantes ripped a double down the left field line, scoring Brown, then came in to score on a Taylor Lane single back up the middle. 

Saint Mary’s 2–0 lead was short lived, however, as the Broncos (26–24, 11–6 WCC) punched back in the bottom half with the first four batters reaching base, resulting in a pair of runs. For the Gaels, Alex Cutonilli made a spectacular unassisted double play on a line drive up the middle, keeping the game level at two apiece. 

From that point on, Saint Mary’s pitcher Odhi Vasquez was truly dominant, facing just two batters over the minimum during the next five innings. In the fifth and sixth innings, Santa Clara managed to put a go-ahead run in scoring position. But each time, Vasquez recorded a strikeout. 

In the top of the seventh, Lauren Tran led off the frame being hit by a pitch in her pinch hit appearance, and Camille Lara slapped a single up the first base line. That brought up Hannah Ferguson, who planted her feet and sent a ball back up the middle, scoring Mia Zabat (who re-entered for Tran) to give the Gaels the lead once again. All that was left was for Vasquez to slam the door shut, and she did that in emphatic fashion, striking out the side to punch the Gaels’ ticket to regionals. 

Three Titles in a Row and Then Some

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With Friday night’s win, Saint Mary’s secured its second ever outright WCC Softball title and punched a ticket to the NCAA Regional for the third time in program history. Odhi Vasquez went the distance in the victory, making this her 19th win this season—second most in single season program history. She already held the program record. Now that record stands at 50 wins.

When it came to the Gaels’ offence, all three runs were driven in by four- or five-year veterans: Tori Cervantes, Taylor Lane, and Hannah Ferguson. Ferguson extended her team-best hit streak to 11 straight games, while Sam Buckley extended her streak to 10 straight games. Cervantes was the lone Gael to record multiple hits, good for her fourth multi-hit game of the season. And Lane drove in her 94th career run, moving into fourth place all-time in program history.

When the Gaels score first, as they did on Friday night, they have a habit of winning: This season, they’re now 30–4 when they’re first to put runs on the board. 

Saturday’s Game, Then Selection Sunday for NCAA Regionals with a Gaels Watch Party at UCU Pavilion

The Gaels take on the Broncos once more in their final regular season tilt on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Santa Clara. Get tickets or watch the game live on ESPN+.

Then on Sunday, May 10, the teams and seeds for the NCAA Division 1 Softball Regionals will be announced. The Selection Show will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. Pacific / 7 p.m. Eastern. The Gaels host a Selection Sunday viewing party at UCU Pavilion. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Games will take place at 16 regional sites beginning Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17, with teams vying for a chance to play in the Super Regionals on May 21–24 and ultimately the College World Series beginning May 28.

Story updated May 9, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. Pacific