Outstanding pitching dominated the storylines at Arizona Athletic Grounds as the Park University Gilbert softball team swept a double header from Benedictine Mesa, winning game one 2-1 and then taking game two in 10 innings 3-2. The Bucs move to 10-22 overall and even their record at 5-5 in conference play.

Game 1 – Park Gilbert 2, Benedictine Mesa 1

Behind another stellar pitching performance from two-time Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week Abril Nerey, the Bucs win a tight 2-1 game in the first of four games with the Redhawks over the next two days.

Nerey tossed a three hitter, and the only run BENU was able to muster was an unearned run in the second after a lead off throwing error to start the inning.

The Bucs got on the board first as Taylor Mount was hit by a pitch. She moved to third when Noelle Gumm singled off the wall in center. She would come home on a sacrifice fly by Carolina Olivas.

The winning run would come across in the third as Gumm would single to center and then come home on a double to right by Danielle Farinas.

Benedictine would only manage one more hit the rest of the game as Nerey (6-10) picked up her sixth win of the season. She struck out eight.

Gumm and Nerey each had two hits to lead the Bucs eight-hit attack.

Game 2 – Park Gilbert 3. Benedictine Mesa 2

Buccaneer starting pitcher Nicole Darby tried to live up to adage whatever you can do, I can do better as she threw 5.1 innings of one hit ball as she had a perfect game threw 3.2 innings before an error broke that streak. Then she held the no-hitter through five innings, until a bloop single in the sixth.

The Bucs had many opportunities to blow this game open as they left 10 runners on base and took themselves out of innings with bad baserunning. The Bucs hit into three line out double plays where the runner took off on a line drive before seeing it through and was doubled off.

The Bucs did break through in the fifth as Gumm picked up the RBI on a ground out to score Sorcha Walker who started the inning with one out with a single.

BENU would get the run right back in the sixth. After the leadoff bloop single to break up the no-no, the runner was sacrificed to second and then Darby was pulled in favor of Christian Smith. Smith got the second out of the inning, but then surrendered a game tying RBI single. Smith was then replaced in the circle with Nerey who got a ground out to end the inning.

Neither team would score again until the 10^th inning. The International tiebreaker rule was implemented and each team started the inning with a runner at second.

Benedictine plated a run in the top of the 10^th when with two outs a Buccaneer error which would have ended the inning allowed the go ahead run to score.

The battlin' Bucs responded in the bottom half of the inning. With Gumm placed at second to start the inning, she moved to third on a deep fly out by Alejandra Castro. She then scored on a Nerey single to tie the game. Olivas followed with a walk and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. The game would end as Ledezma Romero would single off the leg of the BENU pitcher which allowed Nerey to score the winning run and complete the sweep.

Park Gilbert had 15 hits in the game and only managed three runs. Gumm had three of those hits along with Sorcha Walker. Nerey had two hits after she entered the lineup in the sixth as a pitcher.

Nerey (7-10) picked up the win in relief as she threw another 4.1 innings allowing only two hits and no earned runs.

For the day, Nerey threw 11.1 innings allowing five hits, no earned runs and struck out 11 batters.

These two teams will run it back again tomorrow afternoon at Mesa Community College with the first game starting a 11 a.m. and the second game 30 minutes after the completion of the first game.

Prior to the game, the Buccaneers will hold their senior ceremony to honor those seniors who will be leaving the program after this season.