The ninth-ranked Pima Community College softball team has reached 40 wins for the second straight season after earning a sweep against Paradise Valley on Saturday at the West Campus Aztec Field.
Pima (41-5, 29-5 in ACCAC) celebrated Sophomore Day and one of its sophomores, Natalya Rivera of Sunnyside, hit for the cycle in both games won by scores of 4-0 in the first game and 14-1 in five innings in the second game over Paradise Valley (4-32, 4-30).
The victories increased Pima’s winning streak to eight games ahead of Tuesday’s doubleheader against South Mountain (31-14, 23-9) at West Campus Aztec Field starting at noon.
South Mountain swept Pima at home in a doubleheader last month. The Cougars have won 19 of their last 21 games, including the sweep of the Aztecs.
In Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of Paradise Valley, Rivera finished 4 for 6 with three RBIs and three runs while fellow sophomore Nevaeh Bracamonte went 3 for 6 with four runs.
Sophomores Jessica Thompson (Tanque Verde) and Yanelyssia Chavez (Salpointe Catholic) earned the wins in the circle as they combined to go 12 innings, giving up one run on five hits with 18 strikeouts and four walks.
Game 1: (9) Pima 4, Paradise Valley 0: Thompson pitched a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and two walks on 116 pitches as she remained undefeated in the circle at 11-0.
The Aztecs scored all four runs in the second inning.
Sophomore Alyssa Noriega (Pueblo) hit a leadoff double and Rivera followed with another double to bring her home. Sophomore Cheyanne Ortiz (Tucson) brought in Rivera with another RBI double to make it 2-0. Freshman Clarissa Figueroa (Mountain View) drove an RBI single to right field to plate Ortiz. Bracamonte scored on a fielder’s choice to cap the inning.
Rivera finished the game 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run. She hit a single in the fifth inning. Ortiz went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run. Figueroa was 1 for 3 with an RBI while Noriega and Bracamonte each were 1 for 3 with a run.
Game 2: (9) Pima 14, Paradise Valley 1 (5 innings): Pima scored in every inning to earn the run-rule victory.
The Aztecs scored three runs in the first inning. Rivera hit an RBI triple to bring in Noriega while Thompson and Noriega hit RBI singles in the inning.
Sophomore Talia Martin (Mountain View) went deep in the second inning with a two-run homer to score Bracamonte as the Aztecs went up 5-0.
Freshman Jiselle Nunez (Tucson) hit her 18th home run of the season with a grand slam in the third inning, bringing in Ortiz, Bracamonte and sophomore Aubrey Marx (Cienega) to make it 9-0.
Rivera capped off her cycle in both games by hitting a lead-off home run in the fourth inning to center field.
Martin hit a two-run triple to drive in Ortiz and Bracamonte. Marx and Noriega capped off the barrage with RBI singles in the inning. Nunez closed out the game going 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs while Martin finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs. Rivera went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs and Bracamonte was 2 for 3 with three runs. Marx finished 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run. Noriega went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run.
Chavez picked up the win as she pitched all five innings, giving up one run on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks on 77 pitches.
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