Lady T-Birds; victims of another sweep
By: Rene Gomez
MCC softball lost a home doubleheader against the visiting Scottsdale Community College Artichokes on April 19 after coming off of a four-game win streak.
Game one had very little offense for the Lady T-Birds as there were only three hits which were the only base runners in the five inning game.
Sophomore Samantha Christensen got the loss to make her season record 9-17.
Christensen went all five innings and allowed 10 runs (eight earned) off of 12 hits and walked five.
There was a play in the bottom of the fourth inning when freshman catcher Mishell Quinonez actually hit a ball that hit the foul line in right field, but the home plate umpire ruled it a foul ball.
The call was incorrect as the chalk line dusted up which is an indication the ball did in fact hit the line to be fair.
That ruling cost the Lady T-Birds two runs which would have made it 3-2, but instead shifted the momentum completely in favor of Scottsdale.
“You can’t really argue with umpires because you’re not going to win; basically all I was trying to do was get on base and advance runners,” Quinonez said.
Game two had more hits, but only one run scored as Mesa lost 12-1.
Sophomore Kelley Pugh threw seven innings and allowed 12 runs (five earned) off of 13 hits and had five walks and remains winless at 0-5 for the season.
Sophomores Kyleigh Hanson and Jessica Jarvis put the only run on the board for the Lady T-Birds as Hanson drove in Jarvis in the bottom of the third to make it 2-1,.
Scottsdale scored six runs in the fifth inning and four more in the ninth to get the win.
Hanson went two for three and Jarvis went one for four.
Despite the team’s season-long struggles, their unity is a strength that has kept them focused to stay positive for every game regardless of the opponent.
“We have confidence in each other, we believe in each other even though we have been really struggling with a lot of players being injured, but we gelled together,” Jarvis said.
The final home double header for the Lady T-Birds is scheduled to start at noon on May 3 against the South Mountain Cougars.
