NCAA softball: Stanford, Cal win openers, Santa Clara facing elimination

The Cal Bears and Stanford Cardinal softball teams took different paths to first-round NCAA Tournament victories, but both Bay Area teams moved closer to a College World Series berth on Friday.

Santa Clara’s Hope Alley homered three batters into the Broncos‘ first-ever NCAA tournament game and the Broncos didn’t fold after yielding a four-run second inning, but couldn’t complete the comeback against 13th-ranked Arizona and are one loss from elimination in the 64-team tournament.

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