(Chandler, AZ) The Park University Gilbert softball team finished the season with a flourish, sweeping its series with Benedictine Mesa winning both ends of today’s double header in Chandler, Ariz., by the same score of 7-3.
With the win the Buccaneers finished first-year head coach Brandon Telesco‘s first season with a 34-12 record and a 22-6 mark in California Pacific Conference play. Thirty-four wins is a school record in its fourth season and equals the number of wins the program had in its first three seasons, although two of those seasons were truncated due to the pandemic. The 22 conference wins are also a new high and the Buccaneers qualified officially for the conference tournament for the first time. The Bucs would have qualified in 2021 but were not eligible for post season play.
Park Gilbert jumped out to a 5-0 lead and cruised home behind a complete game in the circle by Mariah Martinez and home runs from Gabby Romero and Sierra Meyers.
The Bucs jumped out on top in the first with three runs as Danielle Farinas, Mariah Martinezand Gabby Romero all drove in runs in consecutive at bats. Farinas singled to score Ledezma Romero who led off the game with an infield single and stole second. Martinez then doubled to score Farinas and Gaby Romero singled to score Martinez.
Then in the fourth Gabby Romero and Meyers had back-to-back home runs to give the Bucs a 5-0 lead. BENU would answer in the bottom of the fourth with three runs of their own to make it a two-run game, but the Bucs responded right away with RBI hits from Farinas and Gabby Romero in the top half of the fifth to finalize the scoring.
Martinez picked up her 16th win of the season and seventh complete game. She only allowed four hits, walking three and she hit a batter.
Park had four hitters with two hits and Gabby Romero had three RBI.
Park pounded out 17 hits, led by a school record five by Ledezma Romero as they finished the double header sweep of the Redhawks.
The Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-RBI single by senior Raylissa Garcia. BENU answered with a solo run in the bottom half of the inning.
The Bucs extended their lead in the third with two more runs on Gabby Romero’s second home run of the day, and sixth pf the season, a two-run blast which plated Meyers who singled with one out.
Park Gilbert would add solo runs over the last three innings to bring the lead to 7-1 before BENU plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make the final 7-3.
Christian Smith getting the start for the second consecutive day for Bucs ace Abril Nerey who is nursing an injury looked like an ace as she held the Redhawks to one run on five hits over the first six innings before BENU got two home in the seventh.
Smith (3-0) picked up her third win of the season and she threw a complete game in each of them. All three of her wins came in conference as she also beat Simpson and La Sierra.
Ledezma Romero continued her hot hitting going 5-5 at the plate with an RBI. Her five hits ties the single game mark set by Destinee Alvarez against Benedictine Mesa in March of 2021.
Gabby Romero added three more hits and three more RBI in the game while Sierra Meyers also had three knocks. The 17 hits the Bucs tallied would have set a school record if not for the 21-hit performance the team had yesterday in their 20-1 win.
The regular season is now over and the Bucs will start to prepare for the Cal Pac Tournament at Embry Riddle March 3-5 in Prescott, Ariz. Park Gilbert is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face off with No. 3 Westcliff at 12:30 p.m. on May 3. The winner of that game will face the winner of Embry Riddle versus the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup. Antelope Valley is the No. 4 seed and the fifth seed will be determined next week as Simpson and Benedictine Mesa will face off for the final spot. Simpson.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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