For the second day in a row, the Buccaneers played extras and split a doubleheader with La Sierra in Riverside, Calif.
Game One- La Sierra 5, Park Gilbert 4 (8 Innings)
After eking out a nine-inning win in yesterday's doubleheader, extra inning magic was not on the Buccaneers' side on Friday afternoon. Game one was a back-and-forth affair in which no one took more than a one-run lead. Every time the Buccaneers scored, the Golden Eagles answered right back.
Each team got a run across in the first inning; the Bucs' run came via Tristin Jamar, who drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored when Courtney Beckwith reached on a fielder's choice. Jamar then singled in the second inning to drive in Nadia Gutierrez and give the Buccaneers a 2-1 lead. But that lead only held up into the third inning.
Abril Nerey, who got the start, pitched into a third inning jam and the Golden Eagles tied the game before she was moved to first base. Jessica Mendoza replaced her in the circle with runners on first and second and ended the inning on a ground out.
The Golden Eagles got another across in the fifth inning to take their first lead, but the Buccaneers fought back with two runs in the sixth. Haley Basye scored off an E6 before Nerey knocked one of her two doubles to score Zofia Corral. The Golden Eagles tied it up again in the bottom half of the sixth and walked it off in the eight inning to take game one.
Basye and Nerey both went 2-3. Basye also drew a walk, while Nerey's two doubles put her alongside Raylissa Garcia as the only Buccaneers with two extra-base hits in a single game this season.
Game Two- Park Gilbert 8, La Sierra 3
Behind a fantastic performance from ace Gabby Vallee and capitalizing on a flurry of Golden Eagles errors, the Buccaneers led straight through game two of the doubleheader to split the series.
Vallee threw five, five-hit innings not allowing any runs until the fifth inning when she was relieved by Mendoza, making her fourth relief appearances in as many games. Mendoza finished off the game with two scoreless innings. While Vallee and Mendoza kept the Golden Eagles at bay, the Buccaneers tacked on eight runs between the second and fourth innings.
Nerey hit a leadoff single in the second inning and advanced two bases on an error and wild pitch; she scored when Beckwith singled to right. With the bases loaded, Amber Saiz grounded out to first allowing Corral to score. The Buccaneers loaded the bases again to start the third inning. With zero outs, Corral singled to score Raylissa Garcia and Basye scored on a throwing error by the shortstop.
Destinee Alvarez hit a one-out triple in the fourth inning before Garcia and Basye were hit by pitches to load the bases. Alvarez scored on an error by the catcher and Garcia scored off a Corral single. Beckwith iced the game with a two-RBI double that scored Basye and Nerey.
Vallee picked up the win, while Alvarez, Corral and Beckwith all had two-hit performances. Beckwith recorded a career high four RBIs.
What's Next: The Buccaneers return home and continue conference play next Thursday and Friday against Marymount California. Both doubleheaders start at 12 p.m. and will take place at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Ariz.
