YUMA, Ariz. – The Roughrider offense showed why their squad is ranked No. 5 on Saturday afternoon at the 2022 Great Western Shootout Tournament. Yavapai's offense exploded for 30 total runs, defeating the Utah State University Eagles 14-2 in game one and the Colorado Northwestern Community College Spartans 16-1 in game two. 

On the season, Yavapai is now 8-1 and has logged seven-consecutive run-rule victories. At the tournament, the Roughriders went 4-0 and outscored their opponents 50-6. 

Game One
Freshman pitcher Abby Cruz went the distance in Yavapai's 14-2 run-rule game-one victory with five innings pitched, seven strikeouts, no earned runs and just three hits allowed. 

Offensively, the Roughriders were relentless with their attack and scored five, two, two, zero and five in their respective offensive innings. 

Freshman catcher Ashley Fields led the way in the hit column with a 3-for-4 effort that included a double and an RBI. Sophomore outfielder Mia Weckel, freshman infielder Yaya Kaaialii, freshman infielder Lovey Kepa'a, freshman catcher Jasmine Moreno and freshman infielder Makena Riggs all finished with two hits while sophomore infielder Cheyenne Sandoval had one. 

Kepa'a and Riggs each homered in the contest and had three RBIs while Sandoval tallied three RBIs as well. Fields, Kaaialii, Moreno, Sandoval and Weckel all doubled in the contest as well. 

Game Two
Freshman pitcher Genavie Espinoza got the game-two start and was stellar as well, striking out nine in five innings while allowing just one run. 

At the plate, the Roughriders scored four runs in the bottom of the second before a monster third-inning in which they put up 12 runs. 

Moreno, Riggs, Weckel and sophomore utility woman Alyssa Rosales all homered in game two with Weckel's being a two-run inside-the-park home run. Moreno, Rosales, Fields, sophomore infielder Elisa Granado, Kaaialii and Riggs all doubled with Moreno and Rosales each driving in three runs as well. 

Weckel, Moreno, Riggs and Rosales all finished with two hits in game two while Granado, Kaaialii, Kepa'a, Sandoval and Fields all finished with one. 

Up Next
It's now time for conference play for the Roughriders as they are set to host the Pima Community College Aztecs in their home opener on Tuesday, February 8. First pitch for the doubleheader is set for noon.