(Fullerton, CA) The Park University Gilbert softball team (22-18, 5-9) dropped a pair of Great Southwest Athletic Conference games to the Hope International University Royals (20-14, 7-7), Friday afternoon at Bastanchury Park.
The Buccaneers fell to a Hope International team that received votes in the latest NAIA Top-25 poll. This was the first time Park-Gilbert and HIU met since the Bucs upset the Royals in the first round of the 2025 GSAC Championships. Both games Friday afternoon resulted in a one-run victory for the Royals.
Friday’s doubleheader broke a tie in the GSAC standings between these two programs. Hope now takes sole possession of fourth place, while the Bucs slide down to sixth place.
Game 1: HIU 1 Park 0
In the first game of this four-game GSAC series, the Buccaneers were shutout for the third time all season.
This low-scoring affair saw the Royals score the game’s lone run in the bottom of the second, courtesy of an RBI single to left field from Jocelyn Aguilar.
Yaz Bernal (7-8) was the starting pitcher in Game 1 for Park-Gilbert as she threw a complete game. Bernal logged zero earned runs, two strikeouts, five hits allowed.
Bucs left fielder Dionna Leanio, and catcher Noelle Gumm, both went 2-3 at the plate in Game 1.
Both teams recorded five hits, and Park-Gilbert had one error.
Game 2: HIU 5 Park 4
The second game of this Friday doubleheader proved to be more high-scoring, as the Royals took home a tight 5-4 win.
After a scoreless first inning, the Bucs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Park-Gilbert had the bases loaded by the fourth at-bat.
Park added the first run on the board with a sac fly from center fielder Ari Fjeldsted. Then second baseman Mady Lackey scored off an error from the infield. On the next at-bat, Gumm drove in a run with a single to center field.
Hope got on the board in the bottom of the second with one run, as Park answered back with one of their own in the top of the third off a Fjeldsted RBI.
The Royals then added three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie things up at four. They took the lead and the game in the bottom of the fifth a home run to center field.
In the circle to start Game 2 for Park-Gilbert was Samara Romero, who pitched 2.0 innings and giving up just one run. Grace Jump (4-7) came in relief for 3.0 innings before Bernal closed out the final inning of this contest.
At the plate, Fjeldsted went 2-3 with a pair of RBIs. Lackey went 2-4 with two RBIs.
Overall, Park logged 10 hits and no errors to Hope’s nine hits and three errors.
Up Next
The Buccaneers and Royals meet again for another doubleheader, as they close this GSAC series out Saturday afternoon at Bastanchury Park. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. MST, while Game 2 is slated to begin at 2 p.m. MST.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Garrett Campbell
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