Aztecs Softball Responds After Blowout to Earn Split at Eastern Arizona
The Pima Community College softball team (19-8, 13-5 in ACCAC) responded in a big way after getting mercy-ruled in its first game against Eastern Arizona College (21-5, 18-2) on Saturday in Thatcher.
Sophomores Araceli Peralta (Tucson Magnet HS) and Kalynn Martinez (Sunnyside HS) each finished 4-for-7 at the plate and freshman Bailey Critchlow won her 10th game on the mound.
Game 1: Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters 20, Pima CC Aztecs 3 (5 innings)
The No. 9 ranked Aztecs could not stop the offensive on-slot in the first game as the No. 2 ranked Gila Monsters scored five runs in each of the first two innings and 10 runs in the fourth inning.
Peralta hit an RBI single in the second inning to plate fellow sophomore Christine Olivas (Hamilton HS). Freshman Gabriella Gorosave hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. Freshman Margarita Corona (Tucson Magnet HS) drew a bases-load walk to score sophomore Martinez in the fifth inning.
Peralta finished 2-for-3 with an RBI while Gorosave went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Corona drew two walks and had an RBI.
Sophomore Odalis Orduno (Desert View HS) took the loss (8-4) as she pitched one and two-third innings giving up 10 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Game 2: Pima CC Aztecs 6, Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters 1
Trailing 1-0 early, the Aztecs came back with three runs in the third inning, one in the fifth and two in the seventh to earn the split.
Critchlow pitched a complete-game giving up one run (none earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and six walks on 137 pitches.
Martinez tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning with an RBI single that scored freshman Amy Pacheco (Sahuaro HS). The Aztecs took the lead when freshman Courtney Brown (Flowing Wells HS) scored on a passed-ball. Critchlow capped off the inning with an RBI double to plate Martinez and make it 3-1.
Peralta hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to score Gorosave to make it 4-1. In the seventh inning, Pacheco hit an infield RBI single to plate Gorosave in the seventh inning while Brown had a groundout RBI to score Peralta.
Pima head coach Armando Quiroz is now at 398 wins for his career at Pima.
The Aztecs will be back at the West Campus on Tuesday when they host an ACCAC doubleheader against Arizona Western College. The games will be at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.
Araceli Peralta/Photo by Ben Carbajal
