The No. 5 Pima Community College and No. 6 Phoenix College softball rivalry intensified Saturday at Phoenix College with the Aztecs losing each game of a doubleheader by one run, including one of the games going eight innings.
Pima (33-5, 23-5 in ACCAC) was led by freshman Amerika Lopez–Bedoy (Sunnyside), who went 3 for 8 with three RBIs and two runs in both games; sophomore Talia Martin (Mountain View), who was 4 for 8 with an RBI and two runs; and freshman Jiselle Nunez (Tucson), who was 3 for 5 with two RBIs, two runs and three walks.
Phoenix (38-3, 24-2) is on an 18-game winning streak. The teams will play again April 29 in a doubleheader at Pima.
Game 1: (6) Phoenix College 3, (5) Pima 2
The Aztecs held a couple of leads but the Bears scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Aztecs went down in order to close the game in the seventh.
Sophomore Alyssa Noriega (Pueblo) put the Aztecs on the board in the first inning to score Nunez.
The Bears tied the game in the fourth inning but the Aztecs responded to take the lead back in the fifth inning when Martin hit a lead-off home run to center field to make it 2-1. The Aztecs loaded the bases with no outs, but a strikeout, a foul-tip out and a flyout ended the threat.
Martin finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run while Noriega was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Nunez went 0 for 1 with a run scored and three walks. Lopez-Bedoy finished 1 for 3 while sophomores Natalya Rivera (Sunnyside) and Aubrey Marx (Cienega) each went 1 for 4.
Arianna Flores (Salpointe) suffered her second straight loss as she pitched six innings, giving up three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and six walks. Flores is now 15-2.
Game 2: (6) Phoenix College 9, (5) Pima 8 (8 innings)
The Aztecs led on three different occasions and took the lead for the final time in the eighth inning, but the Bears won it on a walk-off two-run single.
Nunez hit an RBI double to score Marx and put the Aztecs ahead in the eighth inning. Nunez added some insurance when she scored on a passed ball to put Pima up 8-6.
The Bears took advantage of two Pima errors and scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to win it.
Nunez hit an RBI single to score Martin and put the Aztecs ahead in the first inning. The Bears countered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, but Pima quickly responded. Lopez-Bedoy went yard to center field to open the second inning. Sophomore Cheyanne Ortiz (Tucson) followed with a solo home run of her own to tie the game at 3.
The Aztecs continued their offensive momentum in the third inning with another three runs. Freshman Yulissa Lopez (Tucson) hit an RBI single to score Rivera, who doubled to start the inning. Lopez-Bedoy hit her second homer of the game to center field bringing in Lopez as the Aztecs took a 6-3 lead.
The Bears tied the game at 6-6 with one run in the third and two runs in the fourth inning. The score remained until extra play in the eighth inning.
Lopez-Bedoy finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs. Nunez went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run while Ortiz was 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run. Lopez went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run. Martin and Rivera each scored a run.
Camacho (3-3) took the loss in a relief appearance as she pitched one inning, giving up two runs (none earned) on one hit with one strikeout and one walk.
The Aztecs will return to the West Campus Aztec Softball Field on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader against Central Arizona College. First game starts at 12:00 p.m.
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