By: Garrett Campbell
GILBERT, Ariz. --- The Park University Gilbert softball team (18-16, 5-7) defeated the La Sierra University Golden Eagles (6-25, 0-16) in a doubleheader Friday afternoon, at McQueen Park in Gilbert, Ariz.
The Buccaneers extend their winning streak to eight games, three shy of tying the program record of 11 set back in 2023.
Park-Gilbert won its first Great Southwest Athletic Conference series of the season, completing the sweep of the Golden Eagles.
On Friday afternoon the Buccaneers took a 6-2 win in Game 1, and pulled off a comeback to secure Game 2 by a score of 7-6 with a walk off in the seventh inning.
Over the last four games, Bucs outfielder and second baseman Mady Lackey batted .636 with two home runs and seven RBIs. She hit a walk off single to right field to give the Bucs a 7-6 win in the final game of this series.
Game 1: Park 6 LSU 2
The Eagles opened this Friday doubleheader with a leadoff home run from Mia Franco. Park tied things up in the bottom of the first off a sac fly from catcher Noelle Gumm.
Both teams added a run in the third inning, as Gumm drove another run in with a double.
Lackey then hit her first of two home runs Friday afternoon in the bottom of the fourth, giving the Bucs a two run lead. Later in the frame, center fielder Ari Fjeldsted logged an RBI single.
In the bottom of the sixth, left fielder Dionna Leanio nearly hit an inside the park home run. Leanio tripled and got tagged out at home, but the hit scored Fjeldsted to give the Bucs a 6-2 win.
Samara Romero (3-2) started in the circle for the sixth time this season. Romero threw six strikeouts and allowed six hits before Yaz Bernal came in relief. Bernal gave up one hit and picked up her second save on the year, pitching the final three innings and throwing two strikeouts.
Fjeldsted went a perfect 4-4 at the plate with 1 RBI. Lackey also batted 1.000, going 2-2 with a homer and a single.
Park-Gilbert totaled 10 hits and one error.
Game 2: Park 7 LSU 6
The second game of this doubleheader proved to be the closest of four contests between these two teams in this GSAC series.
Similar to Game 1, La Sierra got on the board first as they tacked on three runs in the top of the first.
Lackey then had her second home run of the season in the bottom of the second, a two-run shot that cut LSU's lead to one.
After the Eagles took a 6-2 lead after the top of the fifth, the Bucs proceeded to score five unanswered runs. They added two runs in the bottom of the fifth. With Leanio running on third base, a groundout from catcher Bri Titus led to a score; followed by an RBI double from right fielder Anna Chavez.
Lackey reached home off a groundout as the Bucs entered the seventh inning down a run.
In the final inning, designated player Rebekka Nance drove in the tying run with a double to right center. On the next at-bat, Lackey hit the walk off single to left field to secure an eighth straight win.
In the circle to start Game 2 for Park was Grace Jump. Jump played 4.1 innings and threw two strikeouts before Daysy Juarez came in to close out the final 2.2 innings. Juarez didn't give up a hit or a run, and threw two strikeouts.
Lackey went 2-3 at the plate with three RBIs, and Chavez went 2-3 with one RBI.
The Bucs and Eagles combined for 22 hits and four errors.
Up Next
Park-Gilbert get next week off, as the Buccaneers return to the field on Tuesday, April 7, when they take on the Nelson University Arizona Warriors at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix, Ariz.