Gila Ridge softball extends winning streak
Hawks hold off Buckeye Union
The Gila Ridge softball team probably didn’t put on its sharpest performance of the season, but the Hawks were still able to hold off Buckeye for another win in region play Thursday.
Gila Ridge traded runs with Buckeye for most of the game only to pull away down the stretch for a 12-7 win.
GR: 8-4 AIA, 3-0 region BU: 4-3 AIA, 2-2 region
The game was a lot closer than when the two teams played one day earlier and Gila Ridge won 14-0.
Buckeye hit the ball better than a day earlier with 11 hits to keep Gila Ridge on its backheel, but some relaxed play in the field helped Buckeye on the bases.
“I think that we lacked a little bit of our focus mentally and physically,” Gila Ridge coach Jaime McGalliard said. “The grind of the long season is dragging a little bit. Spring break is here at a good time. We had just enough effort to scratch one out. We just have to continue to focus on getting better and maintaining focus when things aren’t going exactly how we want them to go.”
The two teams did trade big innings in the early part of the game with Gila Ridge having the first big one in the bottom of the first, which was highlighted by an RBI double from Alyssa Darby to help the team go up 3-1. Darby finished the game 4-for-4 with that RBI.
Buckeye bounced back in the top of the second to take a 4-3 after three walks in a row from Melody Vega.
Sherlyn Molina came into the game in relief for Vega and pitched the final 5 2/3 innings to record the win. Molina gave up three earned runs over that time.
Gila Ridge had another big inning in the bottom of the third to break a 5-5 tie and pull ahead 8-5. Tinsley Schmidgall had two RBIs on a single to cap off the rally. Schmidgall finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
Buckeye began to make a few errors in the game and in the bottom of the fourth while Gila Ridge put the game out of reach with another four runs. Six Hawks had hits in the inning and Victoria Potter and Rubida each added RBIs. Potter was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Amanda Rubida 2-for-4 two RBIs and a double.