Cougar Softball Sweeps Paradise Valley CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College softball team (13-7, 13-5 ACCAC) defeated Paradise Valley CC 13-4 (5) and 13-5 (6) in a home Arizona Community College Atheltic Conference doubleheader on Apr. 6. In the first game, Mia Stankiewicz, Tara Lorona and Taylor Mount blasted home runs and Jackie Traughber had six strikeouts in the five-inning victory. Stankiewicz and Jaudrey Ah Quin went deep in the second game while Christian Smith fanned six Pumas in the six-inning victory. 

Game One

The Cougars blasted four extra-base hits and stole five bases to down the Pumas 13-4 in five innings. 

After PVCC struck for a pair of runs in the first, the Cougars scored four times in their half of the frame. The Pumas tied the game in the second, but SMCC responded with a run to reclaim the lead. In the third, SMCC broke the game open with seven runs and then added another run in the fourth. 

Lorona was 3-for-3 with three runs, four RBIs, a stolen base and her first home run of the season, while Stankiewicz was 3-for-3 with a double, two runs, two RBIs and her eighth home run of the year. Tori Van Arsdale was the third Cougar with three hits, finishing 3-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and two stolen bases. 

Mount was a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBIs, a sac fly and her second home run of the year. Natalie Torres went 1-for-2 with a run, two RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. Tatumn Ellis had the team's fifth stolen base of the game. 

In the circle, Traughber fanned six and worked around eight hits and a walk to improve to 8-3 on the season. She added a sac fly at the plate to aid her cause. 

Game Two 

The Cougars jumped out to an early lead, withstood a Puma rally and then scored six runs over the final two innings to record the run-rule victory. 

Four SMCC players had two hits in the 13-5 win: Alexa Key, Stankiewicz, Van Arsdale and Ah Quin. Key went 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base, while Van Arsdale was 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs and a double. 

Stankiewicz hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season and was 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBIs and a walk. She is batting .565 with 37 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 33 runs to go with the nine home runs. 

Ah Quin was 2-for-3 with two runs, four RBIs and her fourth home run of the year, while Traughber scored two runs, had three RBIs and a double in the win. 

In the circle, Smith scattered three hits and one walk to go with her six strikeouts. She improved to 5-3 on the season with a 5.42 ERA and 29 K's in 40 innings of work. 

The Cougars, who have won five straight games and seven of their past eight, travel to Chandler-Gilbert CC for a conference doubleheader on Apr. 10. The first game starts at 1 p.m.