Offense Leads SMCC Softball to Sweep at Eastern Arizona

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College softball team (4-2, 4-0 ACCAC) defeated Eastern Arizona 13-3 and 13-1 (5) in an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday on the Gila Monsters' campus. In the first game, freshman Mia Stankiewicz finished a double shy of the cycle and went 3-for-5 with three runs, five RBIs, a stolen base and a grand slam. In the second game, four Cougars had perfect games at the plate, and the team produced 15 hits. 

Game One

In a game they trailed 3-0, the Cougars exploded for 13 runs over the game's final three innings to earn the victory. 

Alexa Key and Jackie Traughber joined Stankiewicz with three hits in the win. Key finished 3-for-5 with two runs, two stolen bases, a double and an RBI. Traughber went 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a walk. 

Tara Lorona added an RBI triple, Tori Van Arsdale scored a run and had two RBIs, and Destiny Apodaca scored two runs, drew two walks and stole two bases. Christian Smith and Marisa Grijalva contributed pinch-hit RBIs, and Taylor Mount recorded the Cougars' sixth steal of the game. 

All of that was more than enough for Traughber (2-0), who tossed a complete game with four strikeouts and one earned run. 

Game Two

The offensive prowess continued in game two for the Cougars, who totaled 15 hits, including six for extra bases, in a 13-1, five-inning victory. SMCC scored two runs in the first, second and fourth, and then added seven in the fifth to post the run-rule victory. 

Stankiewicz, Key, Mount and Apodaca all had multiple hits in the victory. Stankiewicz finished a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs, three doubles and a triple. Key was also perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with four runs, two RBIs, two stolen bases and a walk.

Mount went 3-for-3 as well, posting two runs, two RBIs and a double. Finally, Apodaca went 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs, a walk, a double and two stolen bases. 

Van Arsdale and Lorona each scored a run, while Traughber and Lorona had RBIs. 

In the circle, Smith (2-2) went all five innings and allowed four hits and a run to pick up the victory. She also had three strikeouts. 

Riding a four-game winning streak, the Cougars return to action with a home doubleheader against Yavapai College on Tuesday, Mar. 9. Game one starts at 1 p.m.