The Park University Gilbert softball team's losing streak and bad luck continued on Tuesday afternoon against Westcliff in Irvine, Calif. A walk-off in extra innings and a blowout in game two led to 8-7 and 8-0 losses.
Game 1- Westcliff 8, Park Gilbert 7 (8 Innings)
For the second time in three days, the Buccaneers were on the unfavorable end of a walk-off hit. This time, it came in extra innings after an error allowed the Warriors' leadoff hitter to reach and eventually score; that prolonged the inning which concluded with the game-winning single.
To add insult to injury, the Buccaneers took the lead in the first half of the eighth inning when a throwing error by the catcher allowed Nadia Gutierrez to reach and score two at-bats later thanks to a double by Danielle Farinas.
The Buccaneers also had a chance to square things away in the seventh inning. Haley Basye doubled and Courtney Beckwith singled to center field to score two runs to give them a 6-2 lead.
The prior four runs came in the fourth and sixth innings. In the fourth, Destinee Alvarez tripled and scored when Basye hit her first double of the day. Danni Garcia followed it up with a 2-RBI double of her own. Then, with the bases loaded in the sixth, Basye scored again when the Warriors committed one of their four errors in the game.
It was in the bottom half of the seventh when the Warriors got two runs off of Aubrey Bartlet, who had only surrendered two to that point. Jessica Mendoza finished off the inning, but not before four Warriors crossed the plate and sent the game to extras.
Basye had a season-high three hits to go along with two RBI and three runs. Danni Garcia had the first multi-hit game of her career.
Game 2- Westcliff, Park Gilbert 0
Both games on Monday were ones to forget for the Buccaneers, but for different reasons. While game one was something of a back-and-forth affair, game two belonged to the Warriors from start to finish.
Gabby Vallee and Abril Nerey split the four innings and while the Warriors got across eight runs, just five of them were earned. The other three were a result of defensive mistakes for which the Buccaneers were tagged with three errors.
Tristin Jamar (2-3) and Raylissa Garcia (1-2, double) were the only Buccaneers to muster hits in the second game.
What's Next: The Buccaneers are now 8-20 on the season and 6-12 in conference play. They still have a chance to split with Westcliff in their doubleheader tomorrow, starting at 11 a.m. at Orange County Park in Irvine, Calif.
