SMCC Softball Extends Winning Streak to a Dozen with Sweep of Pima CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College softball team (24-12, 17-7 ACCAC) swept an ACCAC home doubleheader with Pima CC on Mar. 27, winning 3-2 in game one and 12-4 (5 innings) in game two. Freshman Alyssa Jemio tossed a complete game with two unearned runs, and the Cougars put together a three-run fifth inning to record the victory in game one. In game two, sophomore Nadia Rascon hit a pair of home runs, including a two-run blast in the first, and freshman Tazia Blake went a perfect 3 for 3 as the Cougars swept the doubleheader and extended their winning streak to 12 straight games. 

Game One Recap

Scoreless through three, the Aztecs pushed two across in the fourth to break the deadlock. SMCC responded with three runs in the fifth, thanks to some timely hitting.

Sophomore Dionna Leanio reached on a throwing error with one out, and the miscue allowed her to take second. Sophomore Jada Montoya drove her home with an RBI single, and she scored on an RBI single from Rascon to tie the game. With two outs, Jemio singled to move Rascon to third and sophomore Sadie Su'a posted an infield single to bring Rascon in and give SMCC a 3-2 lead. 

Jemio worked out of a jam in the sixth, leaving runners on second and third to end the frame. In the seventh, she hit a batter with one out but promptly induced a double play to end the game. She improved to 6-3 on the season with the win, allowing six hits and two walks with one strikeout. 

Rascon was 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI, and Su'a was 2 for 3 with the game-winning RBI. Montoya went 1 for 2 with a run, an RBI, and a walk, and Jemio singled and drew a walk. 

Game Two Recap

The momentum carried over to game two for the Cougars, who slugged their way to a 12-4, five-inning victory over the nationally ranked Aztecs. 

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, the Cougars answered with five runs. Montoya singled with one out and trotted home on a two-run home run from Rascon, her eighth of the year. With two outs, Su'a reached on an error and moved to third on a single from Blake.

Sophomore Sabrina Erran drew a walk to load the bases, and sophomore Michelle Balcazar promptly drew another free pass to push Su'a across the plate. Freshman Jerzey Jarvis singled to right to score Blake, and Leanio drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Erran home. 

Rascon led off the second with a solo home run, her ninth of the year and second multi-homer game over the last three contests. Later in the inning, Blake added an RBI double that scored Su'a, and Erran recorded an RBi single that brought in Blake. 

Balcazar then singled to right, and an error allowed Erran to score from first with Balcazar winding up on third. Jarvis ended the inning's scoring with a sacrifice fly to plate Balcazar. 

Jarvis and Leanio added RBI groundouts in the fourth, and SMCC ended the game early despite an Aztec three-run home run in the fifth. 

Rascon was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, two home runs, and two runs, while Blake was 3 for 3 with three runs, a double, and an RBI. Jarvis drove in three, Erran scored three times, and Leanio had two RBIs. 

Su'a improved to 7-2 on the year with five innings of work. She allowed seven hits, four earned runs, and a walk to go with two strikeouts.