SMCC Softball Starts Conference Play 3-1

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College softball team (4-3, 3-1 ACCAC) split a league doubleheader with Mesa CC, winning 9-8 and losing 12-7 (5) on Feb. 7. The Cougars then posted a doubleheader sweep of Gateway CC on Feb. 8, winning 11-2 (6) and 31-0 (5) to open its 2023 ACCAC home schedule. Against the Thunderbirds, the Cougars overcame a late Mesa CC rally to score a run in the seventh and claim the road win. Four days later, the SMCC offense erupted for 42 runs in 10 innings as the Cougars swept the Geckos. 

Mesa CC Recap

In game one, the Cougars posted a 9-8 comeback win in wild fashion to defeat the Thunderbirds in the conference opener. SMCC led 8-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth when Mesa CC struck for six runs to tie the game. In the seventh, freshman Iliana Munoz started the frame with a triple and then scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly from Makaiya Gomez. 

The second game was a 12-7 Thunderbirds win that ended after the fifth inning due to darkness. SMCC led 5-0 heading into the bottom of the second, but the Thunderbirds rallied to tie the game in that frame and scored seven runs over the next three innings to post the win. 

In game one, freshman Vanesa Philpot was 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs thanks to three doubles. Sophomore Rebecca Miller hit a home run and finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, and freshman Brianna Garcia was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. 

Freshman Mia Franco added a double and scored a pair of runs, and freshman Halle Hogan was 3-for-5 with a run scored. 

Freshman Mykenzie Flores earned the win with 1.1 innings of relief work and one walk. Freshman Angelica Tello started the game for SMCC and went 5.2 innings with eight earned runs and three strikeouts. 

In game two, Gomez went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs, a double and a home run. Hogan went deep with a three-run home run in the first inning, and Miranda Martinez also hit a solo blast for the Cougars. Garcia added a double, and a run scored for SMCC. 

Anisa Reynolds took the loss in the circle with two innings and five earned runs allowed. Flores tossed the final three frames and allowed six earned runs. 

Gateway CC Recap

The Cougars' offense posted 42 runs and 32 hits in the doubleheader sweep of the Geckos. 

In game one, Flores posted her second win of the year with six innings of work. She allowed four hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts. 

Offensively, Sarah Potter hit a pinch-hit, walk-off two-run home run in the sixth to end the game. Munoz was 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBIs, a double and a home run, and Martinez added a double, a run and an RBI. 

Gomez scored three runs to go with a pair of singles, a stolen base, an RBi and a walk, and Garcia scored a run and drove in a pair. Sophomore Jessica Gordon stole a base and scored a run, and Miller had a single, a run and an RBI. 

Game two featured an offensive outpouring by the Cougars, who scored seven in the first, two in the second, 12 in the third and 10 in the fourth in the 31-0 victory. 

Reynolds finished a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, two home runs, four runs and six RBIs, while Gomez went 4-for-4 with four runs, seven RBIs and a home run. 

Franco was 3-for-5 with five runs, a home run, two RBIs and a double, and Garcia went 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs, four RBIs and a double. 

Sophomore Annalise Chavez went 1-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs and a double, and freshman Sadie West was 3-for-3 with five runs, three RBIs and two walks. Finally, Munoz was 3-for-4 with four runs, three RBIs and a double. 

Adenira Marquez recorded her first win of the year in the circle with five innings of shutout work. She scattered three hits and fanned five.