(Mesa, AZ) The evening slate of games started late due to the umpires not having the correct time for the first game. The evening ended late as the Park University Gilbert softball team scored six runs in the last three innings and three more in extra time to win game two of the double header with Arizona Christian University 9-8 to garner a split of the two games after falling to the Firestorm 2-0 in the opening game.
Game 1 – ACU 2, Park Gilbert 0
The game started almost an hour late as the umpires thought it was a 7 p.m. start instead of a 6 p.m. first pitch. The Buc bats seemed to still be in the extended pregame as Arizona Christian pitcher Samantha Smith picked up the complete game win. She scattered six hits and struck out 14 Bucs.
ACU scored two unearned runs in the first inning off of Park Gilbert starter Elisa Garcia. A walk, an error, another walk and a hits batsman plated the first run. The second run scored on a ground out.
In the second inning, with one out and a runner on, Bucs ace Abril Nerey was called on to keep the ACU bats in check and she would do just that. Throwing 5.2 innings allowing only one hit, a swinging bunt which hugged the third base foul line. This gave the Bucs a chance to attempt a comeback.
Park’s best chance was in the sixth, when Ledezma Romero and Noelle Gumm had back-to-back singles with one out and the heart of the order due up. But Smith struck out Alejandra Castro and Carolina Olivas to end the threat.
Nerey struck out five as she upped her scoreless inning streak to 21.2 innings dating back to the last series against La Sierra.
Game 2 – Park Gilbert 9, ACU 8 (9 innings)
The Buccaneer bats remained cold through the first four innings of game 2 and the Bucs found themselves down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth and it looked as though they might take a double bagel in shutouts for the two games with nine outs to go.
But the bottom of the Park lineup set the table for the top of the lineup and they cleaned up. Castro walked and with one out Taylor Mount doubled to put runners on second and third. Romero drove home the first run with a single to center. Gumm followed with a two-run double to left to cut the lead to 5-3.
ACU extended the lead back to three runs at 6-3 with an unearned run in the sixth off of Nerey who was brought on again to hold things down for the Bucs. Park responded with two more in the bottom of the sixth. This time it was the bottom of the order who took care of business. ACU walked two of the first three batters it faced in the sixth which prompted the Firestorm coaching staff to bring game one ace Smith back into the game to close things out. But Smith walked the first batter she faced, Bri Jackson to load the bases and then nine-hole hitter Mount laced a double to left field to score two runs a cut the deficit to one.
Nerey kept the Firestorm at bay in the seventh. Which set the stage for drama in the bottom of the seventh. Sorcha Walker walked to start the inning. She then stole second as Nerey and Christian Smith struck out. With two outs, it was down to Elisa Cueva. Cueva then had a battle with Smith for what seemed like five minutes. Cueva would foul off six pitches before finally getting a pitch she could handle and she stroked a slicing double to right field which scored Walker to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
In extras, the international tiebreaker rule comes into effect and the last batter from the previous inning starts at second base. ACU took advantage to score two runs in the top half of the eighth off of Nerey and it looked as though the Bucs comeback might fall short. But Coach Josh Musselman‘s charges had more fight left in them despite the late hour as the clock ticked past 11 p.m.
Mount would again come up clutch with an RBI single to cut the lead to one. Then with two outs, the Gilbert freshman Gumm would come up big again with a crushing double to left to score Romero who had reached via a fielders choice.
Tied at 8-apiece in the ninth. Nerey pitched her way out of trouble and kept the Firestorm off the board and set the stage for heroics in the ninth.
Walker was placed at second to start the inning and it looked as though she may get stranded there as both Nerey and Smith attempted to bunt Walker to third but failed and ultimately struck out. This set the stage again for Cueva who had come up big against Smith in the seventh. She did so again lacing an opposite field double in front of a diving ACU outfielder and once the ball was past her Walker could have skipped home with the winning run just 10 minutes from the witching hour.
Nerey (5-9) picked up the win in relief and Smith took the loss as she was the pitcher of record in both games.
At the plate, Mount had three hits, three RBI and two doubles, Gumm had two hits and three RBI and the walk-off hero Cueva had two hits, both double and they could not have been any bigger as they tied and won the game.
The Bucs now have a little less than a week off before returning to the diamond next Tuesday, April 2 against this seam Arizona Christian squad in Glendale, Ariz. These two games are make up contests for the postponed games from earlier in the season. Game times are 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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