The Benedictine Mesa softball team secured two victories over OUAZ, winning game one in dominant fashion, 9-1, before edging out a thrilling 8-7 comeback win in game two.

Game 1: 

Benedictine Mesa set the tone early with a strong offensive performance. In the first inning, Gabrielle Perez brought Brandee Ayala home on a sacrifice fly, followed by Leiana Madrazo's groundout to first, which scored Annaleia Jenkins, giving the Redhawks a quick 2-0 lead.

The momentum continued into the second as Jaelynn Corona scored after an OUAZ error, with Ayala reaching base and later crossing home on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-0. OUAZ managed to get on the board in the third with an RBI single from Rodriguez, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

Benedictine quickly responded in the fourth when Perez delivered a clutch two-RBI single, bringing in Jenkins and Ayala. Madrazo followed with a sacrifice fly to score Shayera McDaniel, pushing the lead to 7-1. The Redhawks sealed their dominant performance in the fifth with a Paige Salazar RBI double, followed by another run-scoring single from Perez, securing the 9-1 win.

Game 2: 

The second game saw a dramatic back-and-forth battle, with Benedictine Mesa jumping out to an early lead. In the first inning, McDaniel doubled to center, scoring Ayala. Perez then came through in the third with a two-RBI single, plating Jenkins and Jacquelyne Morales to make it 3-0.

The Redhawks kept up the pressure in the fourth, as Ayala grounded out to drive in Savannah Howard, and Jenkins followed with an RBI single, scoring Morales for a 5-0 advantage.

However, OUAZ mounted a massive comeback in the seventh inning. Inzunza sparked the rally with a solo home run before Sutton's two-RBI single made it 5-3. Jimenez followed with another RBI single, and Casadei's three-run homer gave OUAZ a sudden 7-5 lead.

Despite the late deficit, Benedictine Mesa responded with a thrilling rally of their own. Madrazo's RBI single brought home McDaniel, and Ruiz followed with another run-scoring single to tie the game at 7-7. With the bases loaded, Morales sealed the victory with an RBI single, scoring Paige Salazar to complete the dramatic 8-7 comeback.

Key Players:

• Brandee Ayala: 4 hits, 4 runs, 1 double, 2 RBIs
• Gabrielle Perez: 3 hits, 6 RBIs
• Jacquelyne Morales: 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 double, 1 RBI
• Shayera McDaniel: 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 RBI

Looking Ahead:

The Redhawks will look to continue their momentum as they wrap up the series against OUAZ at home on Saturday, March 15th.