The Pima Community College softball team made dramatic comebacks in its final games of the 2026 season Thursday at the NJCAA Division II World Series in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Aztecs, who finished the season 48-10, survived in the elimination bracket after trailing by six runs, beating Northwest Mississippi 9-7 in the morning game, but fell to St. Johns River State (Fla.) 12-11 in the evening matchup after rallying from a seven-run deficit.
“I’m so proud of this team. We showed a lot of grit this tournament, just like we’ve done throughout the year,” Pima softball coach Rebekah Quiroz said in a school-issued statement. “We have numerous come-from-behind wins this year and I think we just ran out of luck. A lot of this level is having all that extra luck and we just ran out. We deserved to be here more than anybody.”
No. 6 St. Johns River State Vikings 12, No. 8 Pima Aztecs 11
St Johns’ Jenelle Cruz hit a walk-off RBI double to left field that got over freshman Kayla Hendrix (Canyon del Oro) and scored Gemma Fusco, who drew a lead-off walk in the previous at-bat.
This is the second straight year the Vikings have eliminated the Aztecs from the World Series. Pima has advanced to the World Series three consecutive years.
The Aztecs trailed 11-4 but rallied in the sixth and seventh innings.
Hendrix hit an RBI single to score freshman Isabel Mendoza (Cienega) as they took advantage of three errors by the Vikings to put the score at 11-9.
Sophomore Amerika Lopez-Bedoy (Sunnyside), freshman Izabel Rodriguez (Walden Grove), sophomore Clarissa Figueroa (Mountain View) and pinch runner Aaliyah Pereda (Mountain View) all scored runs in the inning.
Mendoza led off the seventh inning with a walk. She scored when the shortstop committed an error on the throw to first base. Lopez-Bedoy moved to third base on Hendrix’s sacrifice bunt. Rodriguez tied the game at 11 with an RBI single to left field, driving in Lopez-Bedoy.
The Vikings scored three runs in the first inning, but the Aztecs countered with two in the top of the second.
Freshman Angelina Dehler (Empire) hit a lead-off triple and freshman Soleil Ponce (Sunnyside) brought her in with an RBI single. Two batters later, Lopez-Bedoy hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Ponce to make it 3-2.
The Aztecs rallied off a couple of runs in the fifth inning when sophomore Jiselle Nunez (Tucson) hit her 15th home run of the season, sending it over the left field fence and scoring Rodriguez. That put the score at 9-4.
Nunez finished with three RBIs and a run. Rodriguez went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs while Ponce and Dehler each finished with an RBI and a run scored. Lopez-Bedoy was 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs and Mendoza went 1 for 2 with two runs.
Cruz finished 4 for 5 with four RBIs and two runs scored for St. Johns River.
Sophomore Belen Camacho (Pueblo) took the loss as she pitched the final two innings, giving up three runs (three earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and three walks on 50 pitches.
No. 8 Pima Aztecs 9, Northwest Mississippi Rangers 7
The Aztecs rallied from a 6-0 deficit to prolong their season in the first game of the day. It was the second straight year the Aztecs eliminated the Rangers from the World Series.
The Rangers scored three runs in each the first and second innings to take an early advantage.
The Aztecs loaded the bases with one out after Lopez-Bedoy drew a walk in the fourth inning. Hendrix hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to center field to score Dehler to put Pima on the scoreboard. Freshman Tayah Lyons came in as a pinch hitter and came through on a hit to center field to drive in Ponce and Lopez-Bedoy.
Two batters later, Nunez drove a shot to left field to bring in Rodriguez as the Aztecs cut the deficit to 6-4.
The momentum continued in the fifth inning. Mendoza hit a triple with one out and scored on Lopez-Bedoy’s RBI single in the next at-bat. The Aztecs loaded the bases again as Nunez hit an opposite field RBI single to bring around Lopez-Bedoy and Rodriguez as Pima took the lead at 7-6.
Lopez and Dehler followed with back-to-back RBI singles scoring Figueroa and Nunez respectively.
The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the 5th inning, but Figueroa caught a liner and threw to first base to Ponce to get a double play.
The next Ranger batter grounded out to end the inning.
Nunez finished the game 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run while Lopez-Bedoy was 1 for 2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Lyons had two RBIs and Rodriguez closed the game with two runs.
Dehler finished with an RBI and a run. Mendoza went 2 for 3 with a run and Ponce was 2 for 4 with a run. Lopez finished with an RBI.
Camacho got two strikeouts in the seventh inning as she picked up the win in relief, pitching three innings, giving up one run (one earned) on three hits with two strikeouts on 46 pitches.
Sophomore Sariah Ferrentino (Sabino) was the first reliever out of the bullpen as she pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up two hits with four strikeouts and two walks on 55 pitches.
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