SURPRISE, Ariz. – Jessup Softball wrapped up its Arizona trip on Saturday, as the No. 23 Warriors visited OUAZ for a Saturday GSAC doubleheader. Jessup lost its nine-game GSAC winning streak in game one but bounced back with a dominant win in game two to split the day and take three wins back to the Golden State.
"I can't say enough about this team and their determination to get better every game," said head coach
Brie Campbell. "It was a tough go in game one on defense, and we bounced back and played almost errorless the very next game."
The Warriors fell behind early in game one, as the Spirit jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings. The Jessup bats took some time to wake up, but when they did, they did so in style, putting up six runs in the fourth to jump out to a 6-3 lead.
Kaela Hangebrauck opened up the scoring with a solo shot to right-center field to get the Warriors on the board.
Aaliyah Pineda brought one more home with an RBI double before
Kaylee Winn tied things up by scoring off of a wild pitch.
Maddy Ybarra gave Jessup the lead with a three-run homer that put the good guys up 6-3.
OUAZ responded with two runs of its own, closing the gap to 6-5. The Spirit rallied in the sixth inning with two more to take a 7-6 lead into the final frame. The Warriors threatened with the tying run on third but found themselves on the wrong end of the game as the Spirit came away with the narrow win.
Jessup stormed out of the gate in game two.
Sam Lorge got things started with an RBI single that scored
Hailey Hiett in the first. The Warriors picked up in the second where they left off, adding another run thanks to a solo shot by Pineda.
A seven-run third inning was the difference in game two, as Maddy Ybbarra launched a grand slam over the fence to give the Warriors a 9-0 advantage. Jessup held on to win the game after five innings, marking their second run-rule and second shutout of the weekend.
Maikyla Nelson was dominant in the circle, allowing no runs on just one hit without surrendering a base on balls. Nelson earned the winning decision for her second in as many days.
"I asked them after game two, 'was that fun?' and they said yes," Campbell said. "That's what it's all about, going out having fun playing the game you love with your friends. I'm glad we got back to that and finished the weekend at 3-1."
Through one round of GSAC play, the Warriors are sitting in first place with a 10-2 conference record and a multiple-game lead over second-place OUAZ and Vanguard. Jessup will be back at home this coming weekend for a doubleheader against San Diego Christian.
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William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
