CHANDLER, Ariz. --- The Park University Gilbert softball team (10-12, 1-3) split a pair of games with the Benedictine University Mesa Redhawks (10-10, 3-1), Saturday afternoon at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Ariz.
The Buccaneers completed their first Great Southwest Athletic Conference series, dropping three of four games against Benedictine Mesa. Park-Gilbert now moves to 19-11 all-time against the Redhawks, who are currently tied for second place in the GSAC standings.
In Park-Gilbert's 12-5 win in Game 1, right fielder Ari Fjeldsted tied the program's single-game hits record with five. Fjeldsted went a perfect 5-5 from the plate, batting in three runs and scoring three more. Ledezma Romero is the only other player in program history with five hits. Romero accomplished this feat twice, with the last time being on April 23, 2023, against Benedictine Mesa.
Game 1: Park 12 BENU 5
The Buccaneers started this game up 2-0 after the top of the first, courtesy of an RBI single from catcher Noelle Gumm and an RBI double from designated player Bri Titus. Benedictine Mesa responded by adding a run of their own in the bottom of the first.
Gumm, the GSAC's leader in runs batted in with 22, earned her second RBI with a single to put the Bucs up 3-1 after the top of the second. BENU added another run in the bottom of the frame.
After two innings of scoreless softball, both teams added a run in the fifth inning to make the score 4-3 in favor of Park. Titus drove in Park-Gilbert's run with a sac fly to center field.
The Bucs offense then came alive in the final stretch of this contest, scoring three runs in the sixth and five in the seventh.
Fjeldsted earned her first RBI in the top of the sixth with a double to left field. Later in the frame, with the bases loaded, an infield error from the Red Hawks led to two runs being scored. BENU cut into Park's lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 7-5.
Rebekka Nance, who pinch hit for pitcher Yazmine Bernal, drove in the first Bucs run in the seventh inning with a single to left field. Two at-bats later, Fjeldsted tripled to center field which brought in a pair of runs to make the score 11-5. She then scored the final run of this contest on Gumm's final at bat.
Bernal (6-5) pitched the first six innings of Game 1, throwing for five strikeouts and four walks on 124 total pitches.
Park-Gilbert totaled 10 hits and two errors to Benedictine Mesa's five hits and three errors.
Game 2: BENU 2 Park 1
The second game of this Saturday doubleheader was the polar opposite of the high-scoring affair from earlier in the afternoon. BENU took the fourth and final game of this series by a score of 2-1, logging a run each in the fifth and sixth innings.
There wasn't a run scored until the fifth inning when the Redhawks took a 1-0 lead. In the top of the sixth, Gumm doubled to left field driving in the tying run. She finished this game 2-3 at the plate. Benedictine Mesa then took the lead back in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single.
Samara Romero started the first inning of this game and threw for one strikeout before Grace Jump (2-4) came in relief for the remainder of the game. Jump threw two strikeouts on 73 pitches, allowing seven hits and one earned run.
Park-Gilbert logged four hits and two errors to BENU's nine hits and no errors.
Up Next
The Buccaneers return to the field this Wednesday, as they begin another GSAC series against the Arizona Christian University Firestorm (15-5, 4-0) on the road in Glendale, Ariz. Game 1 of this Wednesday doubleheader will begin at 4:30 p.m. MST.
