SURPRISE, Ariz. - The Ottawa University Arizona softball team fell in both games of their doubleheader Wednesday evening with crosstown rival Benedictine University at Mesa. The Spirit fell 11-7 in game one and 5-4 in a final 8-innings in game two.

With the losses the Spirit drop to 2-17 overall, while the Benedictine University at Mesa Redhawks improve to 3-7 with the victories.
 
Wednesday evening was the first ever match-up between the crosstown schools of BenU Mesa and OUAZ. The Spirit were able to strike first in game one, when Vanessa Rodarte doubled in Amanda Almond; who had singled earlier in the inning to give OUAZ the early 1-0 lead.
 
Lynzee Bollinger led the top of the second off and reached base on a fielding error by Spirit starting pitcher Sabrina Jimenez. Bollinger would later score on a two out single to even the game at 1-1. The pitchers settled in from there and neither team scored a run until the fifth inning.
 
In the top of the fifth inning, BenU Mesa struck for five runs on five hits to take a commanding 6-1 lead. The Spirit tried answering back, scoring three runs of their own to bring the game within a pair of runs at 6-4. The Redhawks went on to outscore the Spirit 5-3 in the final two frames to take game one by a final of 11-7.
 
Offensively for OUAZ in game one, they received two-hit games from Ashton Aggers, Amanda Almond, Emily Stebbins, KaeLynn Miller, and Savannah Brown.
 
In game two, the Redhawks jumped on the board first in the top half of the first inning before the Spirit responded for three runs. OUAZ got their first run on a Emily Stebbins single that plated Miranda Davis. The very next batter; Vanessa Rodarte sent the first pitch she saw over the fence for a two-run homerun to give the Spirit a 3-1 lead.
 
Both teams picked up a run each in the third inning, before the Redhawks struck for two more runs in the top half of the fourth inning to even the game at 4-4.
 
BenU Mesa and OUAZ sit deadlocked at that score after seven innings of play and headed to extras; where the international tie-breaker was put into effect. With a runner at second, OUAZ pitcher Sabrina Jimenez got the first two batters of the inning out on a pop out and one got out by being hit by the ball in the batter's box. Then with two outs, the Redhawks got a single to centerfield that scored the runner from second to put BenU Mesa ahead at 5-4.
 
In the bottom half of the eighth inning with Ashton Aggers starting at second base, Amanda Almond put down a sacrifice bunt to send Aggers over to third base. With one out, the Spirit saw their next two hitters groundout hard to third base and fly out to deep left to end the ballgame.
 
Sabrina Jimenez took the loss in relief, lasting 4.1 innings while allowing just two hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. The 4-5-6 hitters for the Spirit of Stebbins, Rodarte, and Miller accounted for all four of the Spirit runs driven in.
 
The Spirit return to action this Saturday, when they travel north to Prescott to take part in the ERAU Copper State Collegiate Classic. Friday's games were cancelled due to the snow in Prescott, so now OUAZ is set to face Goshen College from Indiana in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 12:15pm.
   
 
 
About Ottawa University
Founded in 1865, Ottawa University prepares professional and liberal arts graduates for lifetimes of personal significance, vocational fulfillment and service to God and humanity within a Christ-inspired community of grace and open inquiry. Ottawa University is a comprehensive, not-for-profit educational institution serving 3,000 students through its residential campuses in Ottawa, Kan., and Surprise, Ariz., and adult campuses in Overland Park, Kan.; Phoenix, Queen Creek and Surprise, Ariz.; Brookfield, Wis.; Jeffersonville, Ind.; as well as online. For more information, visit www.ottawa.edu. 
 
For more information about OUAZ athletics, visit http://www.ottawa.edu/ouaz/athletics. Follow OUAZ athletics on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OUAZSpiritAthletics/ and on Twitter twitter.com/OUAZSpirit.