PHOENIX – On a rainy day where it was not certain that softball would be played, the Yavapai College softball team headed to the valley and earned its first sweep of the season with a pair of wins over the GateWay Community College Geckos with scores of 5-0 and 10-6, respectively. 

Game One
Freshman pitcher Abbie Bean was the story for the Roughriders in their game-one victory as she notched the first shutout of the season for YC. Bean tossed seven innings and allowed just five hits with three walks and a strikeout. 

With Bean keeping the Gecko bats at bay, the Roughrider offense waited until the later innings to take control of the contest. 

The first strike came in the top of the fifth when freshman outfielder Meghan Kelly singled, stole second and scored on a single from freshman infielder Torie Au. 

In the top of the sixth, sophomore utility player Genavie Espinoza doubled to start the frame and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman catcher Amanda Pay to make it 2-0 Roughriders. 

One inning later, the Roughriders added a trio of insurance runs with an RBI double off the bat of Au and two-run homer off the bat of freshman infielder Darby Kramp, her team-leading sixth longball of the year. 

Up 5-0, Bean retired the Geckos in order in the bottom of the seventh to cap off the win. 

Au led all YC hitters with three hits in game one while Kramp and Espinoza had two apiece. Kelly and freshman utility player Aly Savage each finished with one as well.

Game Two
In the second game of the day, YC matched its run total from the first game in the first frame as Au singled in a run, Kelly scored a run, Pay tallied an RBI groundout, freshman catcher Brina Lankford singled in a run and Espinoza crossed home on a passed ball. 

Up 5-0 in the blink of an eye, the Roughriders then saw their lead dwindle to just one run as the Geckos were able to push four runs of their own across the plate in the bottom of the first. 

In the top of the second, YC got one of its runs back on back-to-back doubles from Kramp and Espinoza and led 6-4. Later, in the bottom of the third, GateWay would once more cut the deficit to one run with a run-scoring double. 

One half inning later, in the top of the fourth, Au continued her stellar day at the plate with a solo shot (her fifth of the season) to right to push YC's lead to 7-5, however, GateWay once more cut its deficit to just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly. 

The seesaw battle continued into the fifth inning, however, YC capitalized with two in the frame on a solo homer from Pay (her third) and a run via a passed ball. 

Now leading 9-6, YC pushed an insurance run across in the top of the sixth when Lankford walked with the bases loaded and stood just six outs away from its first sweep of the season. 

Freshman pitcher Shiya Romero was able to get those six outs while keeping GateWay off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings to clinch the 10-6 victory and Tuesday afternoon sweep. 

Romero wound up pitching the entire game for the Roughriders and allowed six runs, only one of which was earned, while striking out three. 

Au, once again, led all YC hitters with three hits while Espinoza had two. Kelly, Kramp, Pay and Lankford each tallied one hit apiece in game two. 

Up Next
The Roughriders are back in action on Saturday, March 25, at home where they will face the Pima Community College Aztecs with first pitch of the doubleheader set for noon.