SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Two outs away. The Park University Gilbert softball team was two outs away from an upset of the No, 19 team in the country.  Then the bottom fell out.  Holding a 5-1 lead heading into the seventh inning, the Buccaneers gave up eight runs in the top of the seventh to ultimately fall 9-7 to the College of Idaho.

"This one stings," said Park Gilbert head oach Karin Gadberry.  "We played and executed the way we want until the last inning. We have to forget about the seventh and take what we did in innings 1-6 with us moving forward."

In innings 1-4, the pitchers dominated, holding each team scoreless.  Then the Yotes pushed across a run in the top half of the fifth.  The Bucs had a response and it came in the form of a five run fifth to take a 5-1 lead.  A sacrifice fly to right by Michele Dinicola drove in the first run.  A single by Shaylah Dominguez drove in a second. and then back-to-back doubles by Danae Villareal and Claudia Telles drove in the last three. The sixth inning went scoreless again before the blowup in the seventh,  

Bucs starting pitcher Gabby Vallee went the distance allowing all nine runs (eight earned) she gave up eight hits (five in the seventh) and eight walks (4) while striking out seven.

Telles led Park Gilbert at the plate with three hits.  Makenzie Celeya add anoth two hits for the thrid straight game. 

You had to wonder if losing such a tough game would be hard to come back from in their next match up with Ottawa University (Ariz.).  It did not seen to be the case as the Buccaneers scored two in top of the first and third to go along with a solo run in the second.  Despite the early offense for the Bucs, the Spirit had an answer as they posted one in the first and five in the second to hold a 6-5 advantage.

After tying the game in the fifth, the Bucs promptly gave the lead back by giving up three in the bottom of the fifth and sixth.  Those runs seemed to put the final nail in the Buccaneers chances as they only mustered one more run for the final 12-7 score.

Celeya, Dinicola and Yassiel Yazo each had two hits.  Celeya now has four straight games with two hits.  Danael Villereal hit the first home run in Buccaneers softball history, a solo blast to left in the fifth. 

Park Gilbert will return to action next Saturday when they take on Benedictine Mesa at Chandler-Gilbert CC in a double header.  The first game is slated to start at 11 a.m.