In a crazy day at the ballpark, the Park University Gilbert softball team won game one of its scheduled doubleheader with Westcliff 5-2 at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz. The second game was postponed and is under protest by Westcliff because Arizona Athletic Grounds would not allow them to take the field with metal cleats once they saw the Warriors footwear.

The first game saw the Buccaneers explode for five runs in the first two innings off of Westcliff starter Alex Corrales. Ledezma Romero led off the first with a double to left center. Then Noelle Gumm tripled down the left field line to drive Romero home. Alejandra Castro then scalded a ball at WU third baseman Celeste Huffman who's momentum took her towards Gumm at third but she did not have a play on Gumm or to get Castro at first. With one out, Danielle Farinas grounded out up the middle to short but this was good enough to get Gumm home with the second run.

Westcliff then answered with an unearned run off of Bucs starting pitcher Nicole Darby in the top of the second, but the Buccos responded in the bottom of the second with three more runs. Carolina Olivas led off with a double to right center and Taylor Mount walked. Bri Jackson then laid down a bunt to move the runners over. Westcliff attempted to get the lead runner at third but was unsuccessful and so the Bucs had the bases loaded with no one out with the top of the lineup coming up.

Corrales then struggled to find the zone, walking home the next two runs on nine pitches as Romero and Gumm earned RBI for their free passes. After throwing ball one to Castro, the Warriors went to their ace Emily Rosas who took the count on Castro to 3-2 before hitting her with the payoff pitch to bring home the third run to make it a 5-1 game.

Westcliff would get one more run on the board in the third but both teams bats went silent the remainder of the game. Rosas only surrendered two hits over the final five innings while Darby and Christian Smith combined to one-hit the Warriors.

Darby (1-5) picked up her first collegiate win in the circle and Smith picked up her first save of the season. Corrales (0-6) took the loss for Westcliff.

Towards the end of game one, personnel from Arizona Athletic Grounds noticed Westcliff players were wearing metal cleats which is prohibited on the turf fields at the facility. The Westcliff coaches were told they would not be able to play game two unless their players were in sneakers or turf shoes. About half of the team had the proper footwear to proceed. Westcliff said they were not told of the no metal cleats stipulation. Park Gilbert Director of Athletics Angelique Claussen offered to buy the 10 players who did not have the footwear the proper shoes so the game could be played. Westcliff administration refused the offer as their was concern about the safety of the players in new shoes on the turf and there would have been a time limit on the second game as the delay would have put the game over an hour later and one of the umpires had another game to attend.

Westcliff has protested the game and a decision on the outcome will have to come from administration at the California Pacific Conference.

Tomorrow's games will now be played at McQueen Park Softball Fields (510 N. Horne St., Gilbert, AZ 85233) with game times now changed to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.  Both Park Gilbert and Westcliff have qualified for the California Pacific Conference Championships at Embry Riddle on May 1, 2, 3. These games are to determine seeding for the Championships. The Bucs could finished anywhere between second and fourth depending on the outcome of the two games tomorrow and the ruling on the protested game today.