PHOENIX, AZ.–The Monroe University softball team (15-13 overall) dropped a pair of games against South Mountain Community College by scores of 11-3 and 8-5 on Friday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1)

·      South Mountain took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off a sacrifice fly.

·      They added a second run on a sacrifice fly out in the bottom of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead.

·      Then, in the top of the third inning, Lizbeth Zambrano ripped an RBI single to center field, which scored a run to cut the South Mountain lead to 2-1.

·      A two-RBI double later in the inning by Veronika Anderson gave the Mustangs a 3-2 lead.

·      South Mountain answered with an RBI double to right field, which scored a run to tie the game at 3-3 at the end of the third inning.

·      In the bottom of the fifth inning, an RBI ground out by South Mountain gave them a 4-3 lead.

·      Then, in the bottom of the sixth inning, South Mountain tacked on seven runs courtesy of three RBI doubles and one RBI single to give them the 11-3 victory.

Game 2

·      Zambrano opened game two with an RBI single to right field to put the Mustangs ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning.

·      In the same inning, Amanda Reyes reached on an error which scored Zambrano to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead.

·      In the bottom of the first, South Mountain tallied four runs off an RBI triple, RBI double, and a two-RBI single to give them a 4-2 lead heading into the top of the second inning.

·      In the top of the second inning, Kerris Johnson knocked an RBI triple to cut the South Mountain lead to 4-3.

·      In the same inning, Gabriella Pugliese ripped an RBI double to right field, scoring Johnson to tie the game at 4-4.

·      In the bottom of the second inning, South Mountain added a run off a ground ball to the shortstop to take a 5-4 lead.

·      In the bottom of the third inning, South Mountain added two more runs off a pair of RBI doubles to take a 7-4 lead.

·      In the top of the fourth inning, Pugliese hit an RBI double to left field, scoring a run to cut the South Mountain lead to 7-5.

·      Then, in the bottom of the fourth inning, an RBI fly out scored a run to give South Mountain the 8-5 win.

STATS AND NOTES

·      South Mountain leads the all-time series 2-0.

·      Johnson and Pugliese led the Mustangs at the dish in game two, going 2-4 with Johnson tallying one RBI and Pugliese with two.

·      Zoe Thomson started in the circle in game two, going 2.1 innings, allowing six earned runs and tallying one strikeout.

·      Jaleila Aupont started in game one going 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and struck out five batters.

UP NEXT

Monroe continues their Arizona trip on Saturday, March 28, when they face Pima Community College beginning at 12:00 PM MST.