(Phoenix, AZ) The Pima Community College softball team (39-6, 31-5 in ACCAC) played a tough ACCAC conference doubleheader on Saturday at South Mountain Community College (38-11, 29-7) in Phoenix.
The No. 7 ranked Aztecs and the No. 10 ranked Cougars each snapped the other’s double digit winning streaks as Pima continued to hold a two-game lead over the Cougars for the top spot in the Division II standings.
Freshman Izabel Rodriguez (Sahuarita HS) closed out the day going 4-for-9 with an RBI and a run scored. Fellow freshman Kayla Hendrix (Canyon del Oro HS) finished 4-for-6 with a run scored. Freshman Soleil Ponce (Sunnyside HS) went 3-for-7 with an RBI and a run while sophomore Jiselle Nunez (Tucson Magnet HS) was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Freshman Adriana Machado (Canyon del Oro HS) and sophomore Sariah Ferrentino (Sabino HS) got the decisions in the circle.
Game 1: (7) Pima Aztecs 6, (10) South Mountain Cougars 4
The Aztecs took the lead with three runs in the 4th inning and held off a seventh-inning rally to snap South Mountain’s 18-game winning streak.
The Aztecs loaded the bases with one out in the 4th inning. Sophomore Julissa Lopez (Tucson Magnet HS) and Nunez drew back-to-back walks to put the Aztecs up 3-1. Lopez scored on a fielder’s choice play to cap the inning.
The Aztecs had runners on second and third base with one out in the 7th inning. Freshman Isabel Mendoza (Cienega HS) grounded out to second, which scored Ponce. Rodriguez followed with an RBI single to drive in pinch runner Ferrentino to make it 6-3.
The Cougars stranded a runner at third base to end the game.
Rodriguez finished the game 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Ponce hit an RBI single in the 1st inning and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Lopez was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Hendrix finished 2-for-3 with a run and freshman Angelina Dehler (Empire HS) closed it out, going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Adriana Machado picked up the win as she pitched four innings, giving up three runs (three earned) on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk on 55 pitches. Sophomore Belen Camacho (Pueblo HS) got the save as she pitched the final three innings, giving up one run (one earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk on 45 pitches.
W – A. Machado (15-2). 2B: Rodriguez.
Game 2: (10) South Mountain Cougars 2, (7) Pima Aztecs 1
The Cougars snapped Pima’s 15-game winning streak to earn the split.
The Aztecs tied the game at 1-1 in the 2nd inning. They loaded the bases with one out as Nunez scored on a fielder’s choice ball hit by sophomore Amerika Lopez-Bedoy (Sunnyside HS) but it was all Pima could manage.
The Cougars took the lead for good with a run in the 4th inning. The Aztecs stranded two runners on base in the 7thinning as sophomore Clarissa Figueroa (Mountain View HS) flew out to center field to end the game. The Aztecs stranded seven runners on base for the game.
Lopez-Bedoy finished 1-for-3 with an RBI while Nunez went 0-for-2 with a run. Hendrix was 2-for-3. Ponce and Rodriguez each had one hit.
Ferrentino took the loss as she pitched six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks on 97 pitches.
PCC 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2
SMCC 1 0 0 1 0 0 x 2 5 0
L – Ferrentino (7-2).
The Aztecs have eight games remaining in the regular season; the next six will be at the West Campus Aztec Field. They will host Scottsdale Community College on Tuesday in an ACCAC conference doubleheader. First game starts at 12:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
Click on Logo
