(Prescott, AZ) The Park University Gilbert softball team lost 10-2 to the Arizona Christian University Firestorm in the double-elimination game of the 2025 Great Southwest Athletic Championships, Tuesday evening.
After taking down the GSAC’s regular season champion Hope International on Monday, the No. 4 seed Bucs are now officially eliminated from the conference tournament, following a pair of losses on Tuesday to No. 2 Embry Riddle and No. 3 Arizona Christian.
This contest was called off after five innings due to the run rule.
In the top of the first, the Bucs had the bases after their first three at-bats. First baseman Noelle Gumm led off with a single, center fielder Ledezma got walked, and third baseman Ileana Rivera hit a single to right field. The next two at-bats converted into scores for the Buccaneers. Designated player Alejandra Castro hit an RBI single and left fielder Lina Sanchez had a sacrifice fly RBI.
The lead Park-Gilbert built in the top of the first was short-lived as ACU rattled off three runs in the bottom of the first, six runs in the bottom of the second, and a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Mana Risati, the freshman from Buckeye, Ariz., got her first collegiate postseason start on Tuesday evening. Risati pitched 1.2 innings striking out two batters, before Elisa Garcia stepped in to close out the final 3.0 innings of the game and the 2025 season.
Despite being eliminated from conference title contention, the future is bright for the Park-Gilbert softball program. In the team’s first year with TJ Stower, winner of GSAC Coach of the Year, the Bucs had a 17-win regular season and made the GSAC Championships in the first year as members of the conference. They opened their postseason run with a first round upset over the NAIA’s No. 18 ranked team in HIU. Park-Gilbert also broke the school’s home run records in 2025, both single-game and single-season. The Bucs might be losing plenty of talent, including all-conference seniors Rivera, Gumm and Castro as well as gold glover Romero. However, the accolades from this season, and the leadership from Coach Stower, have laid a solid foundation for success in 2026.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Garrett Campbell
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