Benedictine University Mesa put together competitive performances in both games of Friday's doubleheader against Arizona Christian, cutting into early deficits and generating timely offense, but late runs proved costly as the Redhawks dropped the twinbill.

Game 1: Arizona Christian 9, Benedictine Mesa 5
Arizona Christian scored three runs in the opening inning, but the Redhawks steadily chipped away and briefly swung momentum behind strong offensive production in the middle innings.

Benedictine Mesa got on the board in the second inning when Alexa Rice singled up the middle to score Leiana Madrazo, who had reached earlier and stolen second. The Redhawks followed with a productive third inning, plating two more runs. Jasleen Calderon knocked in the first run with a single, and Leiana Madrazo followed with another RBI base hit to pull Benedictine Mesa within one.

The Redhawks took a key step forward in the fifth inning when Chloe Wright launched a two-run home run to left field, scoring Madrazo and giving Benedictine Mesa a brief lead. The homer marked Wright's biggest swing of the day and highlighted a stretch where the Redhawks scored in three of four innings.

Arizona Christian responded late, however, with multiple runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, capitalizing on defensive miscues and timely hits to regain control. Benedictine Mesa had traffic on the bases in the seventh, but was unable to push across the tying run.

Game 2: Arizona Christian 3, Benedictine Mesa 0
Game two was defined by pitching and missed opportunities, as Benedictine Mesa tallied six hits but was unable to bring runners home.

The Redhawks threatened early in the third inning, loading the bases with two outs after singles from Shayla Young and Mackenzie Larson, along with a walk from Annaleia Jenkins, but the rally stalled.

Another scoring opportunity came in the fourth inning when Olivia Chavez doubled and Alexa Rice followed with a single, putting runners at the corners. Once again, Benedictine Mesa was held scoreless despite solid contact.

Arizona Christian scored single runs in the first, third, and fifth innings, taking advantage of a handful of errors and situational hitting to build a narrow but steady lead. The Redhawks' defense settled in late, shutting down the Firestorm over the final two innings, but the offense couldn't break through in the seventh.