SURPRISE, Ariz. – The OUAZ softball team split a doubleheader against Saint Katherine on Thursday night at Willow Canyon High School. OUAZ set a school record with their third straight win by taking the opener 2-1 before falling in the nightcap, 7-2.
 
With the split, OUAZ now sits at 7-19 on the season. Saint Katherine moves to 8-19.
 
GAME 1
Alexandra McCutcheon (3-6) was excellent in the circle for the Spirit in the opener. The freshman set a school record with 11 strikeouts in allowing one unearned run on nine hits while throwing a complete game. She stranded 10 Firebird runners on base, including six in scoring position.
 
Sydney Saxton Siaki drove in the first run of the game for the Spirit with a signle through the right side in the bottom of the third inning. OUAZ got the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth from Miranda Davis. She singled with one out, stole second, and scored on errors by the catcher and center fielder on the play.
 
Saxton recorded two of the five Spirit hits in the game. Caitlyn Swisher had a double for the lone extra base hit.
 
GAME 2
Saint Katherine came back to take the nightcap 7-2. They scored once in the first and three times in the third to build a 4-0 lead. Amanda Almond and Marissa Zacchio had RBI singles in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit in half, only to see the Firebirds add three more in the top of the sixth to seal the win.
 
Almond had two of the Spirit's six hits in the loss. Davis added a fifth inning single to extend her hitting streak to 12 games.
 
McCutcheon took the loss allowing three runs on four hits in two innings. Bailey Coronado allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
 
UP NEXT
The Spirit are now set for the first of two GSAC doubleheaders against Arizona Christian. That happens on Saturday at noon at Sandra Day O'Conner High School in Phoenix.