SURPRISE, Ariz. --- The Park University Gilbert softball team (17-15, 9-7) closed out its series against the Ottawa University Arizona Spirit (24-18, 4-12) with another doubleheader sweep, Saturday afternoon at the Willow Canyon High School softball field in Surprise, Ariz.

The Buccaneers earned their second conference series win in 2025, after sweeping OUAZ this past weekend. They scored a total of 24 runs Saturday afternoon, the most recorded in a doubleheader since April 22, 2023, when Park-Gilbert scored 27 runs in a Saturday doubleheader against BENU.

The Bucs have now secured a spot in the Great Southwest Athletic Conference Championships, in their inaugural season as members of the conference. Park-Gilbert currently holds the No. 3 seed with a 9-7 record in conference play. As of now, with one GSAC regular-season series remaining for each team, the Bucs are one game behind No. 2 Embry-Riddle (21-9, 10-6) and one game ahead of No. 4 Arizona Christian (18-20, 8-8).  

Game 1: Park-Gilbert 6 OUAZ 5

Park-Gilbert jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, en route to their third win of this conference series against OUAZ. The Bucs got RBI singles from third baseman Ileana Rivera and pitcher Samara Romero. Romero also stole home off a wild pitch for the third run of that frame.

Rivera, who went 3-3 in game one, got her second RBI single in the top of the second to put the Bucs up 4-0. In the bottom of the inning, with the bases loaded, the Spirit were able to add a run to the board off an infielding error.

OUAZ began to chip away at Park-Gilbert's lead in the third and fourth innings, adding a run in each frame to make the score 4-3.

In the top of the fifth, Romero got her second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly out to center field.

With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Buccaneers designated player Alejandro was hit by a pitch which brought a runner home.

OUAZ added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, and the Bucs were able to get out of the seventh inning allowing just one hit.

Romero got the win on the circle as the Bucs' starter in game one, moving to 7-6 on the year. Mana Risati came in relief and closed out the remaining 1.2 innings. Risati earned her second save of the season.

Both teams recorded double-digit hits in this contest as the Buccaneers recorded 10 hits and two errors to the Spirit's 12 hits and no errors.

Game 2: Park-Gilbert 18 OUAZ 8

The second contest of this doubleheader, and final game of this series, resulted in a six-inning run rule. Park-Gilbert set new single-game season highs for runs with 18 and RBIs with 17.

The Buccaneers opened game two with eight runs in the first inning; the most they've ever recorded in an inning thus far in 2025.

The first five runs of the game came on four consecutive at-bats. With runners on second and third, Castro brought two runs in with her single to center field. Left fielder Lina Sanchez followed that up with an RBI single. During second baseman Rebekka Nance's at bat, an infielding error led to an RBI on the throw. On the next at-bat, catcher Bri Jackson made the score 5-0 with an RBI single. The first out of the game didn't come until the eighth at-bat of the frame, when pitcher Elisa Garcia hit a sacrifice fly leading to an RBI. Center fielder Ledezma Romero added the final pair of runs to the first inning score, when she singled with the bases loaded.

After the second inning which saw OUAZ add its first run to the board, Castro recorded another RBI with her single to left center in the third inning. In the bottom of that frame, the Spirit added four more runs as they began to claw back into the game.

OUAZ then added three more runs to the board in the bottom of the fourth, courtesy of two RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly RBI to make it a one-run game at 9-8.

The Bucs added some insurance to their shortened lead in the top of the fifth. Sanchez doubled down the right field line which brought a pair of runs in. On the next at-bat, Nance singled to center field for another RBI to make the score 11-8.

The Bucs opened up another massive scoring run in the top of the sixth, tacking on six runs to the board. With no outs and the bases loaded, third base runner and right fielder Monica Chon scored off a passed ball. Two at-bats later, Castro added another pair of runs to the board with an RBI double down the left field line. Nance got another RBI with her single to second base. On the next at-bat, catcher Bri Jackson reached first on an error by the catcher which sent third base runner Kayla Seto home for Park-Gilbert. Then Samara Romero hit a sacrifice fly out to right field which brought home run No. 18 for the Bucs.

Rivera had a rather quiet game two, but that was due to being walked on all five of her at-bats. Nobody in the history of Park-Gilbert softball had been walked more than three times in one game before Saturday.

Starting on the circle for game two was Elisa Garcia (6-8), who threw 48 pitches in two innings before Risati came in to relieve. Risati threw a total of 53 pitches in 2.2 innings before Samara closed the final 1.1 innings out with one strikeout on 21 total pitches.

The Bucs recorded 16 hits and one error, to the Spirit's 15 hits and two errors.

Up Next

The Bucs have this week off to rest and regroup, before hitting the road for Prescott, Ariz., in two weeks to face Embry-Riddle on Monday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 23. The Eagles have proven to be one of the toughest tests on the 2025 schedule, as Embry-Riddle received votes in the latest NAIA Top-25 rankings. On both days, game one is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. MST while game two is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. MST.