CHANDLER, Ariz. --  Behind six strong innings from starting pitcher Gabby Vallee and a 3-4 day at the dish for Michele Dinicola, the Park University Gilbert softball team got the first win in program history, a 9-3 win over Benedictine Mesa in game one of a double header at Chandler Gilbert Community College.  The Buccaneers (1-5) had to settle for a split as the Redbirds came back and won the nightcap 8-6.

 

"It is great to get the first win in program history," said Park Gilbert Head Coach Karin Gadberry. "It is an important milestone, but need to keep working."

The Bucs got on the board first, as Tayler Gallegos scored when catcher Yasiel Lazo playing for regular starting catcher Makenzie Celeya who missed today's games due to illness, grounded into a double play.

The Park Gilbert bats went cold for a few innings and in the interim, the Redhawks took a two-run lead behind a Marisa Coleman single in the third and Savannah Ramirez two-run home run in the fourth.

But the Bucs rallied as they rattled off eight unanswered runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth to give them the final margin of victory.

Four Bucs had multi-hit games (Danae Villareal, Dinicola, Meli Villareal and Shaylah Dominguez), Kylee Saunders had two RBI's as eight Bucs drove in the nine runs. 

Vallee threw 99 pitches over six innings, scattering nine hits, with one walk and six strikeouts. Dezire Garcia threw the seventh to close things out.

Game two started out similarly to game one, as Park Gilbert scored two runs early to take the lead, but miscues on defense and quiet bats allowed the Redhawks to respond with five runs over innings three through five and then tack on three insurance runs in the seventh.

The Buccaneers reeled off four runs and had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the seventh, but Dinicola flew out to center to end the game.

Park Gilbert committed six errors in the game so only four of the Redhawks runs were earned.  Their bats also remained quiet most of the game as they only have five hits.

Garcia takes the loss in the circle for the Bucs.  She allowed five hits and four runs (three earned) over three-plus innings.  Saunders threw the last four innings and gave up four runs, but poor defense behind her only made one of those runs earned. 

The Bucs now have eight days off before playing back-to-back double headers.  On Sunday and Monday February 16-17 against Northwest University and No. 25 Marymount (Calif.) University.