Softball finishes regular season with sweep of Thunderbirds on Sophomore Day

Softball finishes regular season with sweep of Thunderbirds on Sophomore Day

YUMA, Ariz. – Arizona Western Softball (31-29, 30-18) finished the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Mesa (26-28, 20-28) on Sophomore Day, winning game one 5-4 before taking the finale 5-2 on Saturday afternoon at Charlie Dine Softball Field.

Tinley Schmidgall homered twice, including a walk-off homer, to help the Lady Matadors take game one 5-4.

The Lady Matadors jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI triple from Desiree Moran and a two-run homer from Schmidgall. Mesa scored four consecutive runs over the next five innings to take a 4-3 lead.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Moran singled for her second hit of the game before Schmidgall smashed a two-run homer to left, giving the Lady Matadors a 5-4 win.

Schmidgall finished the game 2-for-4 with the two home runs and drove in four of the five runs the Lady Matadors scored.

Moran also finished the game 2-for-4 while Zamara Gutierrez picked up the win in the circle.

Jessie Garcia came out of the bullpen in game two and retired all nine batters she faced while Moran went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in a 5-2 win in game two.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Moran put the Lady Matadors on the board with a double to score Valerie Joaquin before Jessie Garcia singled in Moran, putting the Lady Matadors in front 2-1.

Arizona Western scored a run in the second inning thanks to a Mackenzie Barney sacrifice fly and added another in the third on a Schmidgall double. Kimberly Valenzuela singled in the Lady Matadors' fifth and final run in the fifth with a pinch-hit single.

Barney finished the second game 1-for-2 with a single and a sacrifice fly while Moran went 2-for-2 with two doubles and scored twice.

The Lady Matadors will open the Region I tournament on Friday, May 12, in Thatcher, Ariz., at a time to be determined.