SURPRISE, ARIZ. – The OUAZ softball team began GSAC play this past weekend, hosting two conference favorites in the far West Valley. The Spirit opened the four-game weekend with a walk-off win over #7 Hope International, and battled in the final three games against the Royals and Vanguard.
OUAZ 2, #7 Hope International 1 (8 Innings)
The first game of GSAC competition was a pitcher's dual, OUAZ's Riley Shopp and HIU's Allie Puente allowed just one run each through the first seven innings. The Spirit were able to get nine hits off the Royals ace, and scored a run in each of the final two innings to take a victory from a top-10 opponent.
After giving up a run in the sixth, the Spirit headed into their final three outs needing one run to tie. OUAZ would only need the first batter of the inning, as Savannah Sutton smashed a ball over the outfield fence to even the score at one.
Shopp was able to keep the Royals from scoring with the courtesy runner to start extras, as a foul out and a pop out kept the runner from touching home. OUAZ would bring home the winning run in the bottom half of the inning, as Karlene Chavarria would single home Serena Shine to win the conference opener.
The Spirit did tally nine hits in the game, as they had constant pressure on HIU. Brianna Humphries and Brooklynne Esquibel each had two hits, and they also had both of OUAZ's doubles in the contest.
#7 Hope International 3, OUAZ 2 (9 Innings)
The two teams needed extra innings again, as the teams traded runs in the sixth and eight innings. In the ninth, HIU cashed in on the courtesy runner, while the Spirit were unable to tie the game.
Alyvia Hernandez had an excellent outing, giving up just one earned run over nine innings. Hernandez also struck out six batters, scattering five hits across the nine innings.
Esquibel continued her great Friday, posting two hits and driving in the game-tying run in the eighth. Chavarria also had two hits, and had OUAZ's only extra-base hit of the contest.
Vanguard 4, OUAZ 2
The Spirit came back to Shadow Ridge High School on Saturday looking for more GSAC victories, and got into another close game. Vanguard held a 2-1 lead through six innings, before half of the game's runs were scored in the final frame.
Trailing 4-1 into the last inning, Sutton hit her second seventh-inning home run of the weekend to cut the lead. While the Spirit made the game interesting in its final outs, they would not score again.
Four different OUAZ players recorded a hit, and Esquibel had another double. Esquibel would come around to score on that double later in the fourth inning thanks to a wild pitch.
Vanguard 10, OUAZ 7
The Spirit finally played a high-offense game on the weekend, and they jumped out to a big lead early. OUAZ scored seven runs in the first two innings, and lead 7-1 through three.
Vanguard would score four runs in the fourth, and then took the lead with five runs in the sixth to take what would be the game-deciding lead.
The Spirit had 14 hits in the final game of the weekend, and the 1-4 spots in the lineup were responsible for nine of those. Esquibel had her fourth consecutive excellent game, going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs.
Brianna Humphries drove in five of OUAZ's seven runs, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Humphries's biggest hit came in the second inning, as she smashed a grand slam over fence in left center field.
Shine and Kelli Samorano each had two hits for the Spirit in the weekend finale. Angelina Mercado had a double, one of two extra base hits for OUAZ.
The Spirit will return to action at the Tucson Invitational Games on Wednesday, playing a pair of games to close out its time in the Old Pueblo. OUAZ will match up with Simpson at Lincoln Park, with first pitch set for 1:30 p.m.
