(Mesa, AZ) After losing its first three games of the season, the Park University Gilbert softball team has now won six in a row and nine of its last 10 after opening Cal Pac Conference play with two wins over Simpson University 6-3 and 4-0 at Bell Bank Park.
The Buccaneers won in two different ways today, the first game featured a come from behind win and the nightcap saw one of the best pitching performances in Park Gilbert history.
“I’m proud of the fight we showed tonight,” said Bucs head coach Brandon Telesco. “We pride ourselves on being the tougher team every time we take the field and I think we showed that tonight.”
In game one, Simpson jumped ahead with a solo run in the first off of Park starter Mariah Martinez. Doubles from leadoff hitter Isabella Munoz and three-hole hitter Kassandra Soria gave the Red Hawks the early lead. Munoz and Soria were part of the Red Hawks second run as well as both hitters singled before a sacrifice fly drove home Munoz.
The Bucs finally got on the scoreboard and cut the lead to one in the fourth as a bases loaded wild pitch scored Natalie Castro who had singled earlier in the inning and moved to third on two walks.
The combo of Munoz and Soria put the lead back at two after Soria drove home Munoz with a single in the fifth.
The sixth inning saw the Bucs catch a break and then had their bats catch fire. In the top half of the frame, With one out, Ashley Miller walked and stole second. Marissa Ramirez lined a single off the body of Martinez to put runners at first and third. Blake Blades then hit a hard ground ball towards the right side which hit Ramirez in the leg. It was a ball which would have scored Miller from third easily as it would have been hard to turn a double play on the ball. But because of the runners interference, Miller had to go back to third and Martinez got the next hitter out to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Bucs started the inning with back-to-back doubles from Gabby Romero and Natalie Castro to cut the lead to one. Then on the first fastball she saw, Sierra Meyers blasted her second home run of the season, a two-run home run to left center field to give Park Gilbert its first lead of the game. But the Bucs were not done, Raylissa Garciawas hit by a pitch which ended the night for Simpson starter Kylee Potes who had shit down the potent Buc bats until the sixth. The Bucs would get another run home on a suicide squeeze bunt to score Zoe Corral who was running for Garcia. Martinez would help herself with a single up the middle to drive home the fifth and final run of the inning. In all, 10 batters would come to the plate for Park Gilbert in the inning.
With a three-run lead, Telesco would turn to ace Abril Nerey in the seventh to close things out. But the Munoz/Soria combo would cause more problems again, but a spectacular defensive play would keep things under control. Munoz would get her fourth hit of the night to start off the inning. She would be put out on a fielder’s choice before Soria would also get her fourth hit of the game, another double to right center. The Bucs defense had an answer as Simpson attempted to score Amy LeGrande from first, right fielder Castro made a strong throw to second baseman Taylor Mount who then threw a strike to Garcia at the plate who made a diving stab tag on LaGrande to keep her from scoring and giving the Bucs the second out of the inning. Nerey would get the next hitter to ground out to third to end the game and the Bucs walked away with a hard fought 6-3 win.
Martinez (4-2) got her fourth win of the season and Nerey picked up her first save. The Bucs had eight hits, six of which came off the bats of Ledezma Romero, Natalie Castro and Sierra Meyers who had two hits each.
Game two saw Nerey carry the momentum of the seventh inning save into maybe her best pitching performance as a Buc.
Nerey would throw a complete game two-hitter, striking our four and only walking one in 91 pitches. She only allowed four Red Hawks to reach safely for the game.
At the plate Martinez would drive home a run in the first and Meyers would score on a wild pitch in the second to give Nerey all the run support she would need.
Park added two insurance runs in the sixth on another RBI single from Martinez and a sacrifice fly from Gabby Romero.
Christina Robles and Martinez each had two hits in game two as the Bucs made the most of its six hits in the game.
Nerey picked up her fifth win of the season (5-2) and dropped her ERA to 1.42.
The Bucs and Red Hawks meet for two more games on Sunday, March 5 starting at noon at Bell Bank Park.
“We are excited for the challenge tomorrow will bring,” said Telesco. “Simpson is a god ball club who will give us all we can handle. We are looking forward to it.”
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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