REDDING, Calif. --- The Park University Gilbert softball team (8-8) split a pair of games in Day 3 of the Simpson University Round Robin, Saturday afternoon at Redding Sports Park in Redding, Calif.
In the final day of round robin action, the Buccaneers took a thrilling 13-12 win over Simpson that went to 12 innings. Later in the afternoon at 3 p.m. MST, Park-Gilbert fell to the No. 10 ranked Oregon Institute of Technology Owls by a score of 2-4. This loss snapped a four-game streak the Bucs built during the round robin.
Game 1: Park 13 Simpson 12 (12 inn.)
The Buccaneers opened this high-scoring affair with three runs in the top of the first. First baseman Noelle Gumm recorded an RBI single, catcher Bri Titus drove in a run with her double to right field, and designated player Rebekka Nance got an RBI through her groundout with the bases loaded. Simpson responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first.
Center fielder Ari Fjeldsted, who went 3-4 at the plate, logged her lone RBI of this contest in the top of the second with a single to center field. Gumm then got her second RBI of the game later in the frame with another single.
The Red Hawks of SU then tied things up at five in the bottom of the third, before taking a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
The Bucs then tied the game in the top of the seventh as Nance hit an RBI double to right center.
Extra innings began with scoreless eight and ninth frames. In the top of the 10th, the Bucs took a commanding four-run lead that was later answered by Simpson. The inning began with right fielder Anna Chavez being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. An infeilding error led to two more runs being scored for Park. Nance then recorded her third RBI of the game to make the score 10-6. She finished this game going 3-5 at the plate.
With the game tied at 10 heading into the 11th inning, a wild pitch led to third baseman Amaya Ruiz stealing home.
After the Red Hawks answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the 11th, tying the game at 11, the Bucs put the finishing touches on this contest in the top of the 12th. Left fielder Dionna Leanio stole home off a wild pitch, and Titus got another RBI with runners in the corners. Simpson couldn't tie things up in the bottom of the twelfth, giving Park-Gilbert a 3-1 record over the Red Hawks this season.
The Buccaneers emptied the bullpen for this contest. Daysy Jaurez started in the circle pitching three innings, throwing for five strikeouts. Grace Jump then stepped in and pitched 6.1 innings, striking out two and allowing five hits. Once the game was deep into extras, Yazmine Bernal (4-3) came in relief and pitched the final 2.2 innings.
In the seven years of Park-Gilbert softball, this was the first game in program history to last 12 innings. The Bucs finished with a season-high 15 hits.
Game 2: OIT 4 Park 2
The Buccaneers were not as fortunate in the second Saturday game at the Simpson Round Robin, against the No. 10 program in the NAIA.
Similar to the last meeting on Thursday, Park-Gilbert jumped out to a 2-0 lead and the Owls responded with four unanswered runs.
After four innings of scoreless softball, Fjeldsted doubled to left field which drove in Park-Gilbert's two runs in the top of the fifth. OIT then responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth off one double and one single.
Bernal (4-4) pitched the entirety of this contest against Oregon Tech, striking out three batters on 100 total pitches.
The Bucs logged five hits and two errors to Oregon Tech's 10 hits and one error.
Up Next
Although the 2026 Simpson Round Robin has concluded, the Bucs will remain in Redding to face the Red Hawks again in a doubleheader tomorrow, Feb. 22 at 1:00 p.m. and 3 p.m. MST at the Simpson Softball Field.
