Pima softball’s season ends at NJCAA World Series | Pima Aztecs

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (KVOA) – The Pima Community College softball team saw its season end with a walk-off loss at the NJCAA Division II World Series, according to PCC.

The Aztecs (48-10) fell 12-11 to St. Johns River State College on Thursday after rallying from a seven-run deficit. This marks the second consecutive year the Vikings have eliminated Pima from the World Series.

St. Johns player Jenelle Cruz hit a walk-off RBI double to left field that got over freshman Kayla Hendrix and scored Gemma Fusco. Fusco had drawn a lead-off walk in the previous at-bat.

The Aztecs trailed 11-4 but mounted a comeback in the 6th and 7th innings. Hendrix hit an RBI single to score freshman Isabel Mendoza as Pima took advantage of three errors by the Vikings to cut the score to 11-9.

Sophomore Amerika Lopez-Bedoy, freshman Izabel Rodriguez, sophomore Clarissa Figueroa and pinch runner Aaliyah Pereda all scored runs in the inning. Mendoza led off the 7th inning with a walk and scored when the short stop committed an error on the throw to first base.

Lopez-Bedoy moved to third base on Hendrix’s sacrifice bunt. Rodriguez tied the game at 11-11 with an RBI single to left field, driving in Lopez-Bedoy.

The Vikings scored three runs in the 1st inning, but the Aztecs countered with two in the top of the 2nd. Freshman Angelina Dehler hit a lead-off triple and freshman Soleil Ponce brought her in with an RBI single.

Sophomore Jiselle Nunez hit her 15th home run of the season in the 5th inning, sending it over the left field fence and scoring Rodriguez. Nunez finished 1-for-5 with three RBIs and a run.

Sophomore Belen Camacho took the loss as she pitched the final two innings, giving up three runs on three hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Cruz finished 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored for St. Johns River.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Pima softball coach Rebekah Quiroz said.

“We showed a lot of grit this tournament, just like we’ve done throughout the year,” Quiroz said. “We have numerous come-from-behind wins this year and I think we just ran out of luck. A lot of this level is having all that extra luck and we just ran out. We deserved to be here more than anybody.”

The Aztecs survived to play the evening matchup after beating Northwest Mississippi Community College 9-7 in an elimination game earlier in the day. The Aztecs rallied from a 6-0 deficit to prolong their season.

Hendrix hit a sacrifice-fly RBI in the 4th inning to put Pima on the scoreboard. Freshman Tayah Lyons came in as a pinch hitter and came through on a hit to center field to drive in Ponce and Lopez-Bedoy.

The Aztecs took the lead at 7-6 in the 5th inning when Nunez hit an opposite field RBI single to bring around Lopez-Bedoy and Rodriguez. Lopez and Dehler followed with back-to-back RBI singles scoring Figueroa and Nunez respectively.

Camacho picked up the win in relief, pitching three innings and giving up one run on three hits with two strikeouts. It was the second straight year the Aztecs eliminated the Rangers from the World Series.