The Pima Community College softball team broke away in both of its games against South Mountain Community College behind the power hitting of former Sunnyside standout Natalya Rivera on Tuesday at the West Campus Aztec Field.
The No. 8 ranked Aztecs (43-5, 31-5 ACCAC) avenged two losses to the Cougars (31-16, 23-11) late last month on the road and won four of the six meetings this season.
The Aztecs have won 10 straight, their third double-digit win streak of the season.
The two victories keep them on pace with ACCAC leader Phoenix College (45-4, 31-3). Pima hosts Phoenix College in a doubleheader on April 29.
Pima next plays a doubleheader at Scottsdale on Saturday with the first game starting at noon.
Six Aztecs had three hits against South Mountaon on Tuesday.
Rivera, a sophomore, finished the day 3 for 7 with two RBIs, four runs, two home runs and a stolen base.
Freshman Jiselle Nunez (Tucson) went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, two runs and a home run. Freshman Clarissa Figueroa (Mountain View) went 3 for 6 with three RBIs, two runs and a walk-off homer. Freshman Julissa Lopez (Tucson) also had a three-hit afternoon as she was 3 for 7 with three RBIs and a run. Sophomore Talia Martin (Mountain View) finished 3 for 5 with an RBI and three runs while fellow sophomore Aubrey Marx (Cienega) went 3 for 7 with three RBIs and two runs. Freshman Arianna Flores (Salpointe Catholic) and Belen Camacho (Pueblo) picked up the wins in the circle.
Game 1: (8) Pima 10, South Mountain 3: The Aztecs broke open a 4-3 game with six runs in the fifth inning.
The Aztecs took advantage of two errors as pinch runner Sariah Ferrentino (Sabino) scored to make it 5-3. Lopez hit an RBI single to score sophomore Alyssa Noriega (Pueblo). Freshman Amerika Lopez–Bedoy (Sunnyside) reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases again. Figueroa hit a sacrifice fly to plate Rivera to make it 7-3. Martin followed with an RBI single to center field to drive in Lopez, and Marx capped the inning with a two-run RBI double scoring Lopez-Bedoy and Martin as Pima went up 10-3.
Rivera hit her first home run of the day in the third inning as she drove one deep to left field to put the Aztecs up 4-2.
Marx finished the game 2 for 4 with three RBIs, a run and two doubles. She hit an RBI double in the first inning. Martin went 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs. Lopez hit an RBI single in the first inning and was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run. Rivera went 1 for 4 with an RBI, two runs and a stolen base. Noriega drove in a run in the first inning and finished 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run.
Flores picked up the win as she pitched a complete game, giving up three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and four walks on 116 pitches.
·Game 2: (8) Pima 10, South Mountain 1 (5 innings): The Aztecs broke a 1-1 tie with nine unanswered runs to earn the run-rule victory.
Nunez broke the tie with a three-run homer in the third inning, bringing in Figueroa and Marx, who had singled and doubled, respectively, to reach base. Lopez grounded out but scored Noriega and sophomore Cheyanne Ortiz (Tucson) hit an RBI single to score Rivera as the Aztecs took a 6-1 lead.
Nunez hit an RBI single in the fourth inning to score Martin and pinch runner Nevaeh Bracamonte scored on an error to make it 8-1.
Figueroa ended the game in the fifth inning with a walk-off two-run home run to center field.
Nunez finished 2 for 3 with four RBIs and a run while Rivera went 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs. Figueroa was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs. Ortiz went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run.
Camacho picked up the win as she pitched all five innings, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks on 84 pitches.
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