SMCC Softball Sweeps PVCC in Dramatic Fashion

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College softball team (10-9, 7-5 ACCAC) swept an ACCAC home doubleheader with Paradise Valley on Feb. 22, winning game one 13-12 in nine innings before posting a 10-3 win in game two. The Cougars trailed 8-3 early and 12-8 in the bottom of the ninth before sophomore Sadie Su'a blasted a two-run, walk-off home run to seal the Cougar comeback victory. In game two, sophomore Nadia Rascon and freshmen Kaeliann Glass and Jerzey Jarvis (twice) hit home runs to power the Cougars to the doubleheader sweep. 

Game One Recap

The Pumas led 8-2 after scoring three runs in the top of the fourth. From there, SMCC got a run in the fourth, four in the fifth, and one in the sixth to send the game to extra innings. After a scoreless eighth, PVCC pushed four runs across in the top of the ninth to set the stage for the walk-off home run from Su'a. 

With sophomore Dionna Leanio placed at second to start the inning, sophomore Jada Montoya drew a walk to put two on base. Sophomore Nadia Rascon brought them both in with a two-run double, and she scored when sophomore Michelle Balcazar reached on an error. 

That brought up Su'a, who deposited the first pitch she saw over the fence in right to send SMCC to the 13-12 comeback victory. She finished 2 for 5 with two runs, two RBIs, and a double. 

Montoya led SMCC with three hits, finishing 3 for 4 with three runs, two doubles, one RBI, one walk, and three stolen bases. Leanio was 2 for 5 with two runs, and Balcazar was also 2 for 5 with two runs and an RBI. Freshman Alyssa Jemio was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, a run, and a double, and freshman Kaeliann Glass went 2 for 2 with a double, a run, and a pinch-hit, two-run home run. 

Sophomore Aryka Ortega (2-3) earned the win with 4.2 innings of relief in which she allowed five hits, three earned runs, and three strikeouts. Freshman Nuvia Urquiza started the game for SMCC and went 1.2 innings with three hits, one earned run, and three strikeouts. Jemio tossed 2.2 innings of relief with five hits, four earned runs, and one strikeout. 

Game Two Recap

In game two, the Cougars flexed their offensive muscles, hitting four home runs over six innings to record a 10-3 victory. 

PVCC once again jumped out to an early lead, taking a 3-0 advantage into the bottom of the fourth. That set up an SMCC nine-run fourth that saw Glass blast a grand slam, Jarvis crank a two-run shot, and Rascon hit a three-run home run. 

Jarvis then blasted a solo home run in the fifth to conclude the game's scoring. She went 2 for 3 with two runs, three RBIs, and the first two home runs of her SMCC career. Rascon was 2 for 4 with a run and three RBIs, and Leanio was a perfect 3 for 3 with a run and a walk. 

Freshmen Rebekah Mendoza (2-2) earned the win after tossing four innings in a starting role. She allowed six hits and one earned run while fanning three. Su'a recorded her first save of the year with three innings of relief that featured two hits and six K's.