The Park University Gilbert softball team saw a handful of solid pitching performances in Saturday's doubleheader with La Sierra, but an inability to bring home base runners led to the Bucs splitting the doubleheader with the Golden Eagles by scores of 3-1 and 2-1.
Jessica Mendoza was on the bump to start game one and although she could not duplicate her complete game shutout from Friday, she was solid nonetheless. The sophomore scattered seven hits and three runs in five innings pitched.
Mendoza gave up two of those three runs in the second inning, so the third run which came in the fifth inning and proved to be nothing more than an insurance run for the Golden Eagles. The Bucs' lone run on the day came in the fifth inning when Nadia Gutierrez doubled and came home via Destinee Alvarez's sacrifice fly.
The Buccaneers did not necessarily struggle to get on base in game one, but they certainly struggled to bring them home. Seven of the Bucs' nine starters reached base, but they stranded a whopping 10 base runners, which was the most left on base this season by the Bucs and just two short of the single-game record for runners left on base.
Solid performances on the mound were once again the saving grace for the Bucs in game two. Gabby Vallee started and surrendered just one run in three innings pitched, but it was Aubrey Bartlet, who picked up her first collegiate win; she threw four relief innings and gave up just four hits.
Bartlet also pitched two innings of relief in game one and gave up just two hits.
The bats were quiet again in game two, but just loud enough to get two runs across. The 1-1 tie was broken in the sixth inning when Michele Dinicola's second double of the game sent Alvarez home.
"I'm very proud of how Aubrey performed today and excited that she picked up her first win," head coach Karin Gadberry said. "It was nice to get the win in game two, but we still have a lot of work to do."
With just one series left on the season, the Buccaneers now sit at 6-6. Their final four games are scheduled for April 27th and 28th at 11 a.m. at Cactus Yards against a tough Simpson team who is receiving votes for national rankings
