Julissa Lopez and Amerika Lopez-Bedoy help spark offense as Softball splits at Eastern Arizona College

The Pima Community College softball team (17-2) stepped away from ACCAC Division II conference play on Tuesday for a doubleheader at Eastern Arizona College (10-3).
The Aztecs bounced back in the second game to earn a split with the Gila Monsters. Sophomore Julissa Lopez (Tucson Magnet HS) finished the day 4-for-7 with five RBIs and two runs scored while fellow sophomore Amerika Lopez-Bedoy (Sunnyside HS) closed it out going 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a run. Freshman Soleil Ponce (Sunnyside HS) was 4-for-8 with a run scored and freshman Alyssa Aguirre (Sabino HS) went 3-for-7 with an RBI and two runs.
Sophomore Belen Camacho (Pueblo HS) suffered her first loss of the season. Freshman Adriana Machado (Canyon del Oro HS) got the win in the second game.

• Game 1: Eastern Arizona College Gila Monster 8, (9) Pima CC Aztecs 7: The Aztecs took a 7-0 lead but the Gila Monsters scored eight unanswered to steal the first game.
  Lopez hit a three-run RBI double to clear the bases in the 1^st inning bringing around Aguirre, sophomore Clarissa Figueroa (Mountain View HS) and sophomore Jiselle Nunez (Tucson Magnet HS) to put the Aztecs ahead 3-0. Lopez scored on Lopez-Bedoy's RBI single to cap the inning.
  The Aztecs tacked on three more runs in the 2^nd inning. Freshman Izabel Rodriguez (Sahuarita HS) hit an RBI single to plate fellow freshman Isabel Mendoza (Cienega HS) and Lopez drove in Aguirre and Rodriguez with a two-run RBI triple to make it 7-0.
  The Aztecs had four hits the rest of the game. The Gila Monsters scored three runs in each the 3^rd and 4^th innings and took the lead with two runs in the 6^th. The Aztecs stranded two runners on base in the 7^th inning.
  Lopez finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs and a run scored. Aguirre went 1-for-3 with two runs while Rodriguez was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Mendoza finished 2-for-4 with a run and Lopez-Bedoy closed it out, going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
  Camacho took the loss as she pitched all six innings, giving up eight runs (eight earned) on 14 hits with three strikeouts and three walks.

PCC   4 3 0 0 0 0 0   7   11   0
EAC  0 0 3 3 0 2 x   8   14   1

L – Camacho (5-1). 2B: Lopez. 3B: Lopez. SB: Aguirre.

Game 2: (9) Pima CC Aztecs 6, Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters 4: The Aztecs held off a Eastern Arizona rally in the 7^th inning to get the win.
Down 2-0 in the 3^rd inning and with two outs, Lopez hit a double, which was followed by Nunez's two-run home run to right field (first homer of the season) to tie the game at 2-2.
Lopez-Bedoy put the Aztecs ahead in the 4^th inning with a lead-off home run to right field to make it at 3-2.
Figueroa added to Pima's lead with an RBI single in the 6^th inning to score freshman Kayla Hendrix (Canyon del Oro HS).
Pima loaded the bases in the 7^th inning with one out as Hendrix hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to bring in pinch runner Angelina Dehler (Empire HS). Aguirre followed with an RBI single to score Ponce as Pima took a 6-2 advantage.
Machado got the tying run to ground out to Ponce at first base to end the game after the Gila Monsters scored two runs in the 7^th.
Nunez finished the game going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Lopez-Bedoy went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run while Hendrix was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Aguirre and Figueroa each finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and Lopez was 1-for-3 with a run. Ponce closed it out going 2-for-4 with a run.
Machado got the win as she pitched a complete-game, giving up four runs (two earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

PCC   0 0 2 1 0 1 2   6   14   2
EAC  1 1 0 0 0 0 2   4     7   0

W – A. Machado (5-0). 2B: Lopez-Bedoy, Lopez. HR: Lopez-Bedoy, Nunez.

The Aztecs will get back to ACCAC conference play on Saturday when they play at No. 13 Phoenix College. First game starts at 12:00 p.m.