YUMA, Ariz. – The Arizona Western College Lady Matadors Softball team (6-8, 2-0) opened the home portion of its 2024 schedule with a sweep of South Mountain (4-3, 2-2) on Saturday afternoon at Charlie Dine Softball Field, winning game one 5-1 before taking the second game 8-3.

Jayleen Espinosa had three hits in the opener, including a solo home run in the fourth inning, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored in the win. Jessie Garcia held the Cougars to just one run in seven innings while striking out a season-high nine batters.

The Lady Matadors opened the scoring in the first inning on a wild pitch and Espinoza made it 2-0 in the fourth with a homer to left. After South Mountain scored their lone run of the game in the fifth inning, Arizona Western scored three in the sixth to pull away.

Valerie Joaquin went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored and Jessie Garcia also singled in the Lady Matadors' win.

Joaquin and Vonyea Pina each had three hits in the Lady Matadors' game-two win while Lili Vigil German allowed just three runs over six innings of work in the circle.

South Mountain opened the scoring in the first inning but the Lady Matadors responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Veronica Eddy and MacKenzie Vela. The Lady Matadors pushed the lead to 4-2 in the second, scoring a pair of runs on an error. After the Cougars trimmed the Lady Matadors' lead to 4-3 with a run in the third, the Lady Matadors added two more in the fourth on a Joaquin RBI triple and a Kaity McLaughlin RBI single. Arizona Western added two more in the sixth while Summer Simpson finished the game off with a scoreless seventh inning.

The Lady Matadors are back home on Tuesday, March 5, hosting Lake Region State in a doubleheader beginning at Noon at Charlie Dine Softball Field.