YUMA, Ariz. – The No. 5-ranked Yavapai College softball team wasted no time in bringing home two victories on Friday afternoon at the 2022 Great Western Shootout Tournament. The Roughriders defeated the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes 11-3 and the Snow College Badgers 9-0, moving their overall record this season to 6-1. 

Game One
Sophomore pitcher Emily Dix dominated inside of the circle in game one against the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes. Dix tossed six innings and allowed just two hits, zero earned runs and struck out eight. 

At the plate, the Roughriders took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single off the bat of freshman infielder Lovey Kepa'a. In the bottom of the third, YC ballooned its advantage to 5-0 on a steal of home from sophomore outfielder Mia Weckel, RBI single from freshman infielder Yaya Kaaialii and two-run homer from sophomore infielder Cheyenne Sandoval. 

In the top of the fifth, the Coyotes started to mount a comeback, tallying three unearned runs and cutting the Roughrider lead to just two. 

Yavapai, however, took all the drama out of the contest and put up a six-spot in the bottom of the sixth to earn the 11-3 run-rule victory. 

In the inning, freshman infielder Makena Riggs brought home a run with a sacrifice fly, freshman catcher Ashley Fields hit an RBI single, sophomore outfielder Kayla Rodgers walked with the bases loaded, Kaaialii hit an RBI double, Kepa'a hit an RBI single and freshman catcher Jasmine Moreno brought home the final run with an RBI single. 

At the plate, Kaaialii, Kepa'a, Sandoval and Moreno all finished with two hits while Weckel, Rodgers, Fields and sophomore utility woman Alyssa Rosales all finished with one. 

Game Two
Freshman pitcher Emily Darwin saw that it was her turn to dominate inside of the circle in game two and delivered with a five-inning shutout over the Snow College Badgers that featured four strikeouts and just three hits allowed. 

Offensively, Yavapai tallied nine runs in the contest: two in the first, one in the second and six in the third. 

Sandoval and Rodgers both tallied multi-hit games with two apiece (Rodgers taking home the lone extra-base hit of the game for YC in the form of a third inning triple), Weckel, Sandoval and Rosales all finished with two RBIs and Weckel, Moreno, Riggs and Rosales also earned one hit apiece. 

Up Next
Tournament play continues on Saturday for the Roughriders as they play Utah State University Eastern at 8 a.m. and Colorado Northwestern Community College at 10:30 a.m. to conclude the tournament. Both games will take place at Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex and both will have live stats available on GoRoughriders.com/Live.