The Park University Gilbert softball team split a double header with La Sierra University this afternoon dropping the first game 9-8 and winning the second game in spectacular comeback fashion 8-6.

The Bucs are now 2-2 on the young season.

Game 1 – La Sierra 9, Park Gilbert 8

The Bucs made a valiant comeback but came up a run short falling in game one of the twin bill 9-8.

Bucs starting pitcher Samara Romero (1-1) had a rough outing allowing eight runs on 10 hits in her second start after shutting out Nelson in her debut.

LSU scored four in the second before the Bucs cut the lead in half in the third. Romero helped herself leading off the inning with a double. Noelle Gumm then had a ground rule double down the right field line to score Romero. Later in the inning catcher Lina Sanchez singled to score Gumm.

The Eagles tacked on four more runs in the fourth to chase Romero after 3 2/3 innings. Elisa Gacia came on and held the Eagle attack to two hits and one run over the final 3 1/3 innings to give the Bucs a chance at a comeback.

The comeback came from the bat of senior Alejandra Castro. She had two homers in the game, a three-run shot in the fifth and a two run blast in the seventh. Ledezma Romero drove home the other run in the sixth with a double.

After the second home run the Bucs went 1-2-3 to finish the game.

Castro had five RBI, while Ledezma Romero, Ileana River and Lina Sanchez each had two hits.

Game 2 – Park Gilbert 8, La Sierra 6

Game two was a little different. First the Bucs 3 and 4 hole hitters Rivera and Sanchez were not in the lineup due to a class project they were not allowed to miss for the game so they left after the conclusion of the first game.

But despite the loss of two of their biggest power hitters, the Bucs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first on a ground out by Castro and a home run by freshman Mana Risati, the first of her career.

The lead was short-lived as LSU responded with three runs of its own in the top of the second and two more in the third off of Bucs starter Nicole Darby. Garcia was called on again to shut down the Eagle bats and she did so again only allowing one run on two hits over 3 1/3 innings.

Samara Romero was called on in the sixth to get Garcia out of jam and while she did not have her usual stuff today, she competed well enough to get out of trouble and hold the Eagles scoreless in the seventh.

The Bucs again had late inning heroics to come back to pull out the win. It started in the fifth as Gumm led off with a solo home run. In the sixth, Samara Romero led off with single, she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Carolina Olivas. After moving to third on a wild pitch. A Monica Chon ground ball turned into an adventure for the LSU defense. The third baseman looked at Romero for a second allowing Chon to be safe at first but she still attempted to make the throw and threw it away allowing Romero to come home with the first run of the inning. After Chon advanced to second, pinch hitter Rebekka Nance "did her job" and moved Chon to third with a ground out to second which was huge as Bri Jackson came in as a pinch hitter and came up with an RBI single to left to tie the game at 6-all.

This set the stage for the seventh. After Samara Romero put a bagel on the board in the top of the seventh, with one out, Risati walked. Romero (2-1) then gave herself the win in relief as she blasted her first home run as a Buc to left to give Park Gilbert the walk-off win.

The Bucs had 11 hits for the game three each off the bats of Gumm and Samara Romero including the game winner. Risati and Samara Romero each had two RBI.

So far this season thru four games, the Buccaneers have hit 10 home runs. Last year in 48 games, the Bucs only hit 12 home runs. Five of those homers came over three games in one series. The 10 long balls have come off of six different bats.

So far this season, the Bucs are hitting .342 as a team with three hitters hitting over .500. Samara Romero leads the team hitting .778 (7-9) with Rivera .667 (6-9) and Lina Sanchez .556 (5-9). Castro is hitting .444 (4-9) and those four players have combined for eight of the Bucs 10 home runs.