Martin homers and has four RBIs, Flores fans 12 as No. 15 Softball sweeps Mesa CC to open ACCAC play

The Pima Community College softball team (6-0, 2-0 in ACCAC) opened ACCAC conference play on Saturday at Mesa Community College (0-2, 0-2).
The Aztecs scored 18 runs and got strong offensive output from sophomore Talia Martin (Mountain View HS), who finished the day going 4 for 8 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Sophomore Alyssa Noriega (Pueblo HS) closed out the day 3 for 7 with an RBI and three runs scored. Freshman Arianna Flores (Salpointe Catholic HS) pitched a complete-game gem and sophomore Jessica Thompson (Tanque Verde HS) tossed three shutout innings in her start.

• Game 1: (15) Pima CC Aztecs 3, Mesa CC Thunderbirds 1: The Aztecs got on the board in the 4^th inning and held off a rally from Mesa in the 7^th.
  Freshmen Jiselle Nunez (Tucson Magnet HS) and Noriega hit back-to-back singles to open the 4^th inning. With one out, freshman Julissa Lopez (Tucson Magnet HS) hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to bring in pinch runner Nevaeh Bracamonte. Freshman Amerika Lopez-Bedoy (Sunnyside HS) followed with an RBI double to score Noriega as the Aztecs took a 2-0 lead.
  They added to their lead in the 7^th inning when Martin hit an RBI double to bring in pinch runner Uriah Burrell (Catalina Foothills HS). Lopez-Bedoy hit a lead-off single to start the inning.
  Mesa's Alyssa Antillon broke up Flores' no hit bid with a lead-off solo home run in the top of the 7^th inning. Flores got the next three outs to end the game.
  Lopez-Bedoy finished the game 2 for 3 with an RBI. Martin went 1 for 4 with an RBI while Lopez was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Noriega finished 1 for 3 with a run scored.
  Flores pitched a complete-game, giving up one run (one earned) on one hit with 12 strikeouts and three walks on 103 pitches.

PIMA   0 0 0 2 0 0 1   3   10   1
MESA  0 0 0 0 0 0 1   1    1    0

W – Flores (2-0). 2B: Lopez-Bedoy, Martin.

• Game 2: (15) Pima CC Aztecs 15, Mesa CC Thunderbirds 0 (5 innings): The Aztecs left no doubt in the second game as they scored eight runs in the 1^st inning and shutout Mesa to earn the run-rule win.
  Noriega and sophomore Cheyanne Ortiz (Tucson Magnet HS) each hit RBI singles in the 1^st inning while Lopez Bedoy had a sacrifice-fly RBI. Martin capped off the inning with a three-run homer to center field, driving in Ortiz and freshman Clarissa Figueroa (Mountain View HS) to give Pima an 8-0 lead.
  The Aztecs scored two more runs in the 2^nd inning as sophomore Natalya Rivera (Sunnyside HS) hit an RBI triple to score Noriega. Rivera scored on the next at-bat by Lopez, who hit a sacrifice-fly RBI to make it 10-0.
  The Aztecs got an RBI double by freshman Legend Otero and an RBI single from Bracamonte as part of a four-run 4^th inning.
  Bracamonte added to the lead in the 5^th inning with an RBI single to drive in Otero.
  Martin finished 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Bracamonte closed out the game, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run. Otero was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs and Noriega went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs. Ortiz finished 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run.
  Thompson picked up the win after she pitched three innings, giving up three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

PIMA   8 2 0 4 1   15   15   0
MESA  0 0 0 0 0    0     5    4

W – Thompson (2-0). 2B: Marx, Otero, Martin. 3B: Rivera. HR: Martin.

The Aztecs will host their home opener at the West Campus Aztec Softball Field on Tuesday against Glendale Community College in an ACCAC conference doubleheader. First game starts at 12:00 p.m.