STOCKTON, Calif. – In addition to hosting Santa Clara for a three-game series Friday through Sunday, Pacific softball will also welcome program alumni back to Bill Simoni Field on Saturday for the annual Alumni Game.

The series comes on the heels of Pacific's (13-29, 1-8 WCC) first program win over Oregon State last weekend. Against Santa Clara (22-19, 7-2 WCC), the team will try to snap another cold streak and notch the first series win over the Broncos since 2021. Last season's series with Santa Clara was tightly contested as games two and three went to extra innings and game one was decided by a 3-0 pitcher's duel.

Sophomore Peyton Clifford has found her stride at the plate hitting .348 against conference foes this season. Befitting her prowess at the plate, Clifford holds a top-ten spot in RBIs with six during WCC play courtesy of her four-RBI explosion against Oregon State.

Just below her in the batting average rankings, redshirt senior Olivia Silvestre has a .333 clip in conference play, however opposing pitching staffs have opted to pitch around the reigning First Team All-Conference selection. Through nine WCC games, Silvestre has walked eight times – the second-best mark in the conference.

Team wide, Pacific enters the weekend ranked 99th in doubles with 60, trailing only Seattle for the conference lead. With 11 games left, the Tigers need only hit eight more doubles to surpass the 2025 and 2013 teams for the third most season doubles since 2010. Silvestre has been at the forefront of this stat, ranking 31st in the nation and co-leading the WCC with 14 doubles.

The double play ball could factor into the outcome of the series as both Pacific and Santa Clara carry top-25 national marks into the weekend. The Tigers rank second in the conference and 24th in the country with 20 double plays turned. Under Head Coach Sam Duran-Kukuk, double plays have been a staple of her defense as last season's team tied for the second most in a season in program history. Not since 2016-17 has Pacific had consecutive seasons turning 20+ double plays.

However, during sophomore Alexa Lewis' start, there isn't likely to be much opportunity to turn double plays as the righty pitcher has the second-best strikeouts per seven innings mark in the conference, averaging 6.9 strikeouts per seven innings. In 16 appearances this season, Lewis has struck out 63 batters making her the team leader in the category. In just ten more strikeouts she will pass Vanessa Strong for the most strikeouts by a Tiger this decade.

Prior to Saturday's game, a small recognition will be held for the program alumni in attendance. All three games will be shown on ESPN+.

Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.

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