Softball earns split, baseball drops pair in Tucson; both teams play today

Rams softball and baseball teams have seen better weeks. The softball team (9-6, 1-1) won in convincing fashion at home with a 17-2 win over Horizon Honors then traveled to Salpointe Catholic in Tucson and was shut out 10-0.

The baseball team (6-6, 1-3) made back-to-back trips to Tucson last week and left both times empty handed losing 16-4 to Catalina Foothills and 8-7 to Salpointe Catholic.

The week began on an overcast, windy day in Tucson on Tuesday when Coach Andrew Pollak’s varsity squad took the field against the Catalina Foothills Falcons (13-3). The game got off to a rocky start for senior pitcher Dallas Speer (3-1) who was shelled for nine runs in the first inning. Speer came back in the second inning and gave up consecutive walks to begin the inning before being pulled by Pollak.

“It just wasn’t his day,” Pollak said after the game. “Dallas is a great pitcher, but he couldn’t throw a fastball for a strike today.”

Speer was replaced by Bernardo Juarez and was handed his second straight loss. The Falcons were no kinder to Juarez who surrendered seven runs over the next three innings, although the first two were charged to Speer.

Maricopa’s bats showed up a little too late as senior Tristan Hartley notched two hits and two RBI as the Rams would score four runs in the final two innings.

“We’re not a 16-4 team,” Pollak said during a post-game interview. “Our goal is to come back on Thursday and even the series.”

Senior Dillon Moran (1-2) took the mound against Salpointe Catholic (10-2) and stymied the Lancers in the first inning. The Rams would take a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the second before giving up four runs to the home team.

The Rams responded with big innings in the third and fourth innings and took a 7-6 lead into the fifth inning. Hartley again led the offense with 3-of-4 hitting with a double and three runs scored. Junior Nick Diaz and Moran each drive home two RBIs.

Moran was replaced in the fifth inning by Hartley after allowing two men on base before recording the first out. Hartley went on to pitch 1.2 innings of one-hit baseball but that hit was enough to put Salpointe up 8-7 and secure the victory for the Lancers.

Maricopa hosts Seton Catholic (6-9) from Chandler at 3:45 p.m. today. The Sentinels are 2-3 on the road, while the Rams are 1-1 at home.

The softball team hosted Horizon Honors (2-6) on Wednesday and showed no mercy on the Eagles opening up with three runs in the first and nine in the second. Sophomore pitcher Yasmin Santa Cruz earned her third straight victory and moved to 3-1 on the season.

Senior catcher Madi Moncel fueled the offense on Wednesday with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Isabel McCloskey, Sydnee Akers and Rosie Naranjo drove in nine runs with three RBIs apiece. The ladies had a knack of getting on base through unconventional ways with seven walks, four errors and three hit batters.

Coach Chris Ansley’s varsity squad was also at Salpointe Catholic in Tucson on Thursday to take on the 5-6 Lancers. Junior pitcher Victoria Andrade, the star of the Kristyn Diehl Tournament, struggled once again from the circle.

Andrade (3-5) gave up five runs in the first, four in the third and one in the fourth before the game was called due to the mercy rule in the fifth. The Rams managed only four hits in the game and were charged with a season-high eight fielding errors.

The ladies travel to take on Seton Catholic (7-11) 4 p.m. today. The Sentinels are 4-2 at home and the Rams are 1-2 in true away games.  

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