Pima Community College’s softball team rallied from seven runs down in the sixth inning of the first game of a doubleheader and went on to win both games Saturday against visiting Central Arizona to extend its winning streak to 26 games.
The Aztecs (35-8, 22-2 ACCAC) won the first game 13-12 after falling behind 12-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
They defeated the Vaqueras 10-5 in the second game to continue the second-longest winning streak in program history.
Pima won 36 straight games in 2004 en route to its first national championship.
The one constant between that team and this year’s club is pitching coach Nicki Johnson, who was the ace on the 2004 staff for coach Stacy Iveson.
Pima, coached by alum Rebekah Quiroz, who also played at Flowing Wells and Arizona, has not lost since it was swept at home by Phoenix College on March 2 (49 days ago).
The Aztecs will try to extend the winning streak when facing Central Arizona (16-17, 12-14) again in a doubleheader on Tuesday at Casa Grande. The first game starts at noon.
The dramatic rally in the sixth inning of the first game started with Sunnyside grad Natalya Rivera hitting a leadoff double and then scoring on a single by the next batter, Mountain View alum Talia Martin.
After Aubrey Marx (Cienega) was hit by a pitch, Camila Zepeda (Tucson) reached on an error to load the bases.
Jazmyne Waddell (San Manuel) followed with a single that scored Martin to cut the lead to 12-7 with still no outs.
After Alyssa Lopez (Sunnyside) replaced Waddell as a courtesy runner, Mina Chacon (Tucson) followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Marx.
A fielder’s choice groundout by Mallory Wrobel (Sahuarita) plated Zepeda to cut the lead to 12-9.
Cheyanne Ortiz (Tucson) followed with a double that moved Wrobel to third base.
That set up Salpointe grad Yanelyssia Chavez with a three-run home run, belted over the left field fence on the first pitch, to tie the game at 12.
After Chavez pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh, Martin led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. Marana grad Gabriella Salazar replaced Martin as the pinch runner.
Marx followed with a single and she and Salazar moved up a base after a passed ball.
With one out, Waddell hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Salazar to give Pima the win.
Chavez (2-1) was the winning pitcher, working the last 2 1/3 innings.
In the second game, Martin, Marx, Zepeda and Ortiz each had two hits as part of Pima’s 13-hit attack in the second game.
Waddell, who belted a three-run home run, improved to 11-1 in the circle with the complete-game victory.
She allowed nine hits and five runs with eight strikeouts and five walks.
Pima’s top batters in the doubleheader sweep:
Martin, 3-7, 4 runs, 3 RBIs
Marx, 3-8, 3 runs 2 RBIs, triple
Zepeda, 3-8, 2 runs, 2 doubles, RBI
Waddell, 3-8, 2 runs, 5 RBIs, HR, double
Ortiz, 2-3, 2 runs, RBI, triple, double
Wrobel, 2-4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs
Chavez, 1-2, run, 3 RBIs, HR
Rivera, 3-7, run, 3 RBIs, double
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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