WOODLAND, Calif. – The OUAZ softball team opened Golden State Athletic Conference play on Friday by playing three games against two different opponents. The Spirit started by dropping both games of their originally scheduled doubleheader at Menlo College. They then dropped a game at William Jessup in a game that was moved from Saturday due to expected weather in the area.
 
With the three losses, OUAZ falls to 2-10 overall this season and 0-3 in GSAC play.
 
GAME 1 vs. MENLO
In their first-ever GSAC game, OUAZ fell to Menlo 5-4 after allowing the Oaks to score four times in the third inning to see their 2-1 lead turn into a 5-2 deficit. The Spirit got one run back in the fourth inning on a stolen base by Miranda Davis. They added another run in the sixth inning with a Heliana Bueno RBI single.
 
With two on and two out following the Bueno single, Jorden Jefferson popped out to end the inning. The Spirit would then be retired in order in the seventh to end the game.
 
Alexandra McCutcheon took the loss in the circle after allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits in 2.1 innings. Bailey Coronado went the final 3.2 innings without allowing a run on five hits with three strikeouts.
 
Kelly Stumper had a pair of hits and a run scored in the game. Caitlyn Swisher and Emily Stebbins would add RBI for the Spirit.
 
GAME 2 vs MENLO
OUAZ took a 2-0 lead in the second game against Menlo when they pushed two runners across in the second inning. After Davis scored on an error, Amanda Almond drove in Ashton Aggers with a groundout.
 
Menlo would score the next nine runs of the game, including a 4-run third inning that included a 2-run home run from Sarah Reyes.
 
Sabrina Jimenez allowed four runs on six hits in 2.2 innings to take the loss. McCutcheon gave up five runs in 3.1 innings.
 
Stebbins doubled in the sixth inning for the lone extra base hit of the game for OUAZ. The team's other two hits came from Stebbins and Davis.
 
GAME 3 vs WILLIAM JESSUP
With the first two games complete, the Spirit then made a 110-mile trek to play William Jessup in the day's final game. The Warriors struck for five runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back in taking a 7-3 victory.
 
Swisher drove in two runs for the Spirit with a double in the second inning. Stumper then added an RBI single in the frame to trim the deficit back to 5-3. That would be all the scoring for the Spirit while Jessup added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth inning.
 
Almond had two of the Spirit's eight hits.
 
Coronado went the distance in the circle with five strikeouts and nine hits allowed.
 
This game was moved to Friday night due to projected rain in the area on Saturday. The team's will play the lost game from Saturday in Surprise on March 28.
 
UP NEXT
With Saturday's game being rescheduled, the Spirit will return to action on Wednesday when they host a non-conference doubleheader against Carroll College. Those games will start at 4 p.m. at Willow Canyon High School.