SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The first two games in the history of the Park University Gilbert softball program did not go as head coach Karin Gadberry would want, but for a first year program, sometimes growing pains are a natural process in the evolution of your team.  Day one of the OUAZ Spirit Classic saw the Buccaneers lose 7-3 to host Ottawa University (Ariz.) and 13-5 to the 19th ranked College of Idaho.

 

:"Three innings were the difference in the these two games today." said Gadberry.  "But against good competition, you can't take an inning off and expect to win games. We will learn from this and be better for it going forward." 

Game one saw an early pitchers duel between Park Gilbert's Gabby Vallee and OUAZ's Phoebe. Popplewell. Despite both pitchers getting in some jams.  They were able to minimize damage and it was only a 2-1 contest entering the fifth.

But this was the first of those three costly innings Gadberry spoke about.  The Buccaneers gave up five runs in the inning as the Spirit used a combination of timely hits and small ball to keep Park Gilbert on their heels and take control of the game. The Buc bats responded with two tallies in the top half of the sixth, but at this point it was too little too late.

At the plate, Michele Dinicola recorded the first hit in Bucs history with a resounding double to right center field in the second inning. That was the start of a 2-3 game for the Bucs centerfielder with an RBI and a run scored..  Catcher Makenzie Celaya also had two knocks including a double, going 2-4 with a run scored.

Six different Bucs recorded hits against the Spirit but they left six runners on base over the course of the game.

Vallee (0-1) took the loss throwing 4 1/3 innings allowing all seven runs which were earned, walking one while striking out four. Kylee Saunders threw 1 2/3 innings of relief.

Game two saw the Buccaneers take on the No. 19 team in the country College of Idaho.  And the Yotes showed they had sharp teeth from the start.

In the top of the first, Park Gilbert had two runners on with one out before COI starting pitcher Hannah McNerney got a strikeout and pop up to get out of a jam and take away any early momentum the Bucs had.

Then in the bottom half, the Yotes put four runs on the board.  A lead-off walk put Park Gilbert starter Elizabeth Lyon in trouble from the jump.  Lyon's specialty is she gets a lot of ground balls and she did just that in this inning. Unfortunately, they kept finding holes in the Bucs defense.

It didn't get any better in the second inning, when COI put up a six spot to make it a 10-0 game.  Again, the Bucs answered with five runs in the top of the third themselves. Two errors, a walk three singles and a wild pitch helped produce the five runs for the Bucs. 

Celeya had two more hits for the Bucs, Claudia Telles, Danae Villareal and Shylah Dominguez all drove in runs for Park Gilbert. 

Day two of the Spirit Classic continues tomorrow with the Bucs getting rematches with the same two teams.  They will face the College of Idaho at 3 p.m. and then finish with Ottawa at 5 p.m.