GLENDALE, Ariz. --- The Park University Gilbert softball team (10-16, 1-7) dropped a pair of games to the Arizona Christian University Firestorm (20-5, 8-0), Thursday evening at the ACU Softball Field in Glendale, Ariz.

The Firestorm completed the series sweep of the Buccaneers with a doubleheader win on Thursday. A tight 2-1 battle in Game 1 concluded with a walk-off single from Arizona Christian. ACU then took a 12-6 win in the second game of the evening.

Arizona Christian now holds a five-game lead in the Great Southwest Athletic Conference standings. Despite having the most losses in the conference, Park-Gilbert remains in the hunt at fifth place.

Game 1: ACU 2 Park 1

This low-scoring affair began with the Bucs taking a 1-0 lead after the top of the first, courtesy of an RBI triple from first baseman Anna Chavez.

Game 1 proved to be a pitching battle between Park-Gilbert's Yazmine Bernal (6-7) and Arizona Christian's Dayna Herrera (9-1). Hererra and Bernal have thrown the first and the third most strikeouts in the GSAC this season, with 57 and 45 respectively.

After the top of the first, the next five innings were scoreless as both teams combined for four hits in that stretch.

ACU didn't put up the tying run until the bottom of the sixth inning, when designated player Brittany McCracken hit a sac fly to right field.

In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and runners on first and second, catcher Christina Grubb put this game on ice with a walk-off single.

Bernal was in the circle for the entire game, throwing 98 total pitches She struck out six batters and allowed six hits. This was the sixth game this season where Bernal gave up one earned run or less.

Game 2: ACU 12 Park 6

After a Game 1 that only saw three runs put on the board, the Bucs and Firestorm combined for 18 runs, 17 hits, and three home runs in this high-scoring tilt.

The Bucs opened things up with two runs in the top of the first. With a runner on first, center fielder Ari Fjeldsted singled to third base. An error in the infield cleared the bags as Fjeldsted scored off her own hit.

ACU responded with nine unanswered runs, seven in the bottom of the third and two in the bottom of the fifth.

In the top of the fifth, first baseman Noelle Gumm hit her second home run of the season cutting the Firestorm lead to five. ACU countered with a homer of their own in the bottom of the frame to make the score 10-4.

Park-Gilbert's final two runs came in the top of the sixth as Fjeldsted and pinch hitter Daysy Juarez hit RBI singles.

In the circle to start Game 2 was Samara Romero (0-2), who pitched the first three innings. Romero threw a season-high four strikeouts before Grace Jump came in relief. Jump faced 11 batters, allowing four hits.

Catcher Bri Titus went 3-3 at the plate. Gumm went 2-4 with two RBIs and Fjeldsted went 2-3 with one RBI.

Up Next

The Buccaneers return to the Tucson Invitational Games this Sunday, March 15 at 10 a.m. MST, when they face the Haskell University Fightin' Indians (1-13, 0-0) in a doubleheader at Lincoln Park in Tucson, Ariz.