The No. 7 Pima Community College softball team earned its 16th ACCAC sweep of the season on Saturday during Sophomore Day at West Campus Aztec Field, topping Chandler-Gilbert by scores of 10-1 in five innings and 5-2.
The Aztecs (43-6, 35-5 ACCAC) need a victory or a loss by South Mountain (42-11, 33-7) in the last two ACCAC games to clinch the Division II title and No. 1 seed of the region tournament that begins May 7.
Pima will host a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday against Central Arizona (first game starts at noon) before ending division play Saturday at Phoenix (36-10, 30-10).
South Mountain will conclude its regular season with two games at Paradise Valley (7-33, 6-32) on Tuesday.
Sophomore Jiselle Nunez (Tucson) was 4 for7 with seven RBIs, two runs and two home runs in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of Chandler-Gilbert (15-28, 13-25).
Freshman Isabel Rodriguez (Walden Grove) finished 5 for 7 with an RBI and four runs. Freshman Isabel Mendoza (Cienega) went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and four runs. Freshman Tayah Lyons was 3 for 5 with two runs.
Sophomores Belen Camacho (Pueblo) and Sariah Ferrentino (Sabin) picked up the wins in their starts.
Game 1: (7) Pima 10, Chandler-Gilbert 1 (F/5)
The Aztecs broke a tie with nine unanswered runs to earn a run-rule win in the first game.
With the score tied at 1-1, the Aztecs led off the third inning with a walk by Mendoza and back-to-back singles by Rodriguez and sophomore Clarissa Figueroa (Mountain View). Two batters later, Nunez drove the second pitch she encountered deep to right field for the grand slam to put the Aztecs up 5-1.
The Aztecs scored another five runs in the fourth inning. Rodriguez hit an RBI single to score Lyons and sophomore Julissa Lopez (Tucson) hit a groundout to bring in Mendoza to make it 7-1. Nunez hit her second home run of the game as she took another shot over the fence in right field, scoring Rodriguez and Figueroa.
Nunez was 2 for 3 with seven RBIs, two runs and two homers. Rodriguez and Figueroa, at the top of the lineup, combined to go 5 for 5 with two RBIs and four runs. Mendoza had a single and two runs and Lyons had a single, stolen base and a run.
Camacho (13-2) started the game and pitched all five innings, giving up one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and two walks on 90 pitchs.
Game 2: (7) Pima 5, Chandler-Gilbert 2
Mendoza hit the go-ahead home run in the fifth inning to help the Aztecs secure the sweep.
With the score tied at 2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Lyons and freshman Aaliyah Pereda (Mountain View) hit two straight singles with two outs. Mendoza sent the second pitch she saw over the fence in right field for the three-run homer to put the Aztecs up for good.
The Aztecs scored a run in each of the first two innings. Freshman Angelina Dehler (Empire) hit an RBI single to score Rodriguez in the first inning.
Figueroa reached on an error in the outfield as it scored Mendoza, who hit a double with one out to put the Aztecs up 2-0 in the second inning.
The Coyotes scored two in the fourth inning to tie the game.
Mendoza finished the game 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs. Dehler was 3 for 4 with an RBI while Rodriguez (3 for 4), Lyons (2 for 3) and Pereda each scored a run.
Ferrentino (9-1) picked up the win as she pitched a complete-game, giving up two runs (none earned) on five hits with five strikeouts on 106 pitches.
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