GLENDALE, ARIZ. – The OUAZ softball team ended its busy week with a doubleheader against crosstown rival Arizona Christian on Saturday. The two teams played a pair of tight games, but the Firestorm would win both contests on their home field.
Game 1: Arizona Christian 3, OUAZ 0
Both teams stayed scoreless through the first two innings, and ACU opened the scoring in the third. The Firestorm scored on a wild pitch, and the two teams would stay at a 1-0 difference until the sixth inning.
OUAZ had five hits, and two of them came off the bat of Elysa Moreno. The best opportunity to score for the Spirit came with Moreno standing on second, but with one out, was unable to bring her home to tie the game in the fifth.
Game 2: Arizona Christian 3, OUAZ 2 (12 Innings)
The second game looked as if OUAZ would go scoreless in 14 total innings on Saturday, but the Spirit put together a resilient rally in the seventh to force the game into extra innings. ACU scored two runs in the second inning, and held that lead until the Spirit battled back with its final two outs.
After a leadoff groundout to start the seventh, Odalys Garcia-Peret doubled down the right field line. Following a host of defensive changes by the Firestorm, including a pitching change, Lauren Russell immediately followed up with a triple to bring in OUAZ's first run.
With Rusell on third and Brianna Humphries drawing a two-out walk, the Spirit perfectly executed a rundown situation to tie the game. Humphries attempted to steal second, and in the process of getting in a rundown, Russell came in to score before Humphries was tagged out getting back to first base.
Each team had multiple chances to score throughout extra innings, and OUAZ masterfully worked out of a jam in the 10th. ACU had runners on second and third with no outs, but a pickoff at third, a flyout, and a groundout would allow the Spirit to push the contest further.
Eventually the Firestorm were the ones to break the deadlock, ending the day in the 12th inning. With the bases loaded, Humphries made a great play to keep the ball in the infield, but could not get a good throw off as she was breaking toward the left field foul line due to an excellent effort.
Garcia-Peret had an excellent game, going 3-for-3 and scoring a run. Moreno had another two-hit game, and Humphries reached base three times as well (hit, two walks).
OUAZ pitching came through as well, not giving up an earned run in the 11.2 innings. Alyvia Hernandez went the first 9.1 innings, giving up just five hits, and Riley Shopp did not give up a hit in 2.1 innings of work.
The Spirit will now travel to Northern California next week for two more doubleheaders. OUAZ will start the trip on Friday at Menlo, with first pitch in Atherton set for 11 a.m.
