Tears were streaming down Ellie Garcia’s face, falling from her eyes and down to the dirt at Kelly Field. 

The Santa Clara Broncos rode into town and spoiled senior day for Oregon State Softball on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Beavers 15-4. 

The game was called after five innings due to the NCAA’s eight-run run-rule and was the regular-season finale for both teams. 

While it wasn’t the final game that Garcia wanted as a starting pitcher, she was beaming with pride.

“I’m so proud of what this team has accomplished,” Garcia said after the game. “The grit this team has is unbelievable, and to put up a winning season after all that we’ve been through is amazing.”

The loss was an unexpected end to OSU’s season, with the team finishing the 2025 campaign with a 24-23 overall record. The Broncos improved to 32-20 with the win.

The Broncos wasted no time getting on the board, tagging Garcia (11-11) for six runs across the first two innings. 

Robynn Balmediano opened the scoring with a two-out, three-RBI double in the first. An inning later, Rebecca Rubio plated two more with a single before Taryn Clements capped the frame with an RBI double, chasing Garcia after just 1.2 innings of work.

While the game was not the conclusion that Garcia had planned for the end of her softball career, she fondly recalled one of her favorite moments after the contest: “When we shut out Oregon in 2022 here at home, that was awesome,” Garcia said with a smirk on her face.

On the mound for the Broncos, Hannah Edwards (9-5) earned the win, holding OSU to three runs over 2.2 innings despite allowing a pair of home runs. 

The Beavers briefly found life in the third, with freshman catcher Madison Weir launching a solo homer, followed by a two-run shot off the bat of Jaeya Butler. 

The Broncos, however, did not have plans for a Beaver comeback. 

Santa Clara’s Hazyl Gray delivered a towering two-run homer in the fourth, then the Broncos broke it open in the fifth with a seven-run outburst. 

Rubio notched her fourth RBI of the day with a two-run double, Alley added a two-RBI single, and Balmediano and Bryson each reached on errors that brought in additional unearned runs.

For the Beavers, Butler and Campbell each tallied two hits. Weir finished 1-for-1 with a walk and her third home run of the season. Lewis added an RBI single in the fourth, but Oregon State struggled overall, going just 2-for-10 with runners on and committing three errors defensively.

The game marked the final home appearance for senior Lici Campbell, who tallied two hits, and Samantha Gutierrez, who started at designated hitter. 

Santa Clara outhit Oregon State 14-7 and went 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Rubio (3-for-4, 4 RBI, 2 2B), Clements (3-for-4, 2 2B), and Charpentier (2-for-3, 2B) led a relentless Broncos attack that capitalized on timely hits and OSU mistakes.

While her collegiate career may have come to a close, Garcia hopes that the lessons the seniors learned will carry on.

“I hope that the new players take our grit and our fight and they use it as student athletes to better themselves and bring the program to a new level,” Garcia said.