No. 4 SMCC Softball Outlasts Eastern Arizona to Even Season Series

PHOENIX ---

The No. 4 South Mountain Community College softball team (45-8, 39-5 ACCAC) defeated Eastern Arizona 3-2 and 17-14 in an ACCAC road doubleheader on April 25 in Thatcher, Ariz. Sophomore Anisa Reynolds blasted her 24th home run and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to earn the win in game one. In the second game, the Cougars got home runs from freshmen Halle Hogan and Sarah Potter, and Reynolds wiggled out of another bases-loaded jam in the seventh to record the save. 

Game One Recap

SMCC tacked on single runs in the first, fifth and seventh and held off a Gila Monsters rally in the seventh to post the 3-2 victory. Reynolds improved to 16-3 on the season with a complete-game performance. She struck out three and allowed nine hits, three walks and one earned run over seven innings. 

Reynolds helped her cause at the plate with her 24th home run and 73rd RBI of the season. Freshman Brianna Garcia had an RBI double in the first inning that scored sophomore Makaiya Gomez, and freshman Mia Franco delivered an RBI single to score Hogan in the seventh. 

The SMCC defense turned three double plays in the victory. 

Game Two Recap 

The second game featured an offensive barrage from both teams, with SMCC outlasting EAC over the seven frames. The Cougars led 12-4 in the bottom of the fifth, but the Gila Monsters scored six to extend the game.

After SMCC posted four in the sixth and one in the seventh, EAC mounted a rally that produced four runs and loaded the bases with one out. Reynolds got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game and record her first save. 

Freshman Angelica Tello earned the win and improved to 16-2 on the year with 4.1 innings. She allowed six earned runs and three walks. Freshman Mykenzie Flores tossed two innings of relief, allowing four earned runs with a strikeout. 

At the plate, Hogan finished a perfect 5-for-5 with her 12th home run and 18th double and added three runs and two RBIs. Potter hit her eighth home run and finished 2-for-3 with four runs, two RBIs, a double and two walks. 

Freshman Vanessa Philpot went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple, two runs and four RBIs, and Garcia was 2-for-4 with her team-leading 22nd double, two RBIs, a run and a walk. 

Franco was 2-for-5 with a double, a run, a stolen base and an RBI, while Gomez was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a run and a walk. Sophomore Annalise Chavez had the team's fifth double and was 2-for-4 with a run, Reynolds scored a pair of runs, and freshman Iliana Munoz scored a pair of runs with an RBI.