ABERDEEN, S.D. (PCSaints.com) – The Presentation College Saints softball team dropped a double-header against Northwestern College to drop to 1-7 overall on the year. The Saints fell 2-9 in the opening game and suffered a heartbreaking extra inning loss in the ninth inning by a score of 6-7.
Game One: Presentation College 2, Northwestern College 9
The Red Raiders wasted no time as they started with a two-run first inning to open the game. NWC’s Devin Dreesen doubled to left-center field to score Madison Beaver and Emily Strasser for the 2-RBI double for the early lead. The Saints managed to tie things up at 2-2 after back-to-back one run innings over the third and fourth inning. Cortni Mendoza(SR/Brawley, CA) opened the third inning on a double to right-center and was brought home by a bunt by Krystle Schweers (SR/Perryville, MD). Celia Cerezo (JR/Chino Hills, CA) crossed home for the second run of the game after a double of her own to start the inning. Jadwyn Parrish (SO/Oregon City, OR) put down a sacrifice bunt to advance Cerezo to third and rounded home after a single up the middle by Mendoza.
However, Northwestern responded with seven runs over the final three innings for the 9-2 win.
Of the team’s eight hits, Krystle Schweers led the team with three including a double and one RBI. Cortni Mendoza hit her way into her fourth multiple-hit game of the season with two. Mendoza also added a run, RBI and double in the loss. The final three hits of game one came off the bats of Bibiana Villeda (SO/Lake Elsinore, CA), Cherie Malacas (JR/Lanai City, HI), and Celia Cerezo.
Bibiana Villeda suffered her third loss of the season as she let up nine runs (8ER) off 14 hits and walking three in seven full innings.
Game Two: Presentation College 6, Northwestern College 7 (9 Innings)
For the second time on the day, the Red Raiders were able to score to start off the opening inning. This time, NWC’s Devin Dreesen hit a sacrifice fly to score Madison Beaver – who reached base on a lead-off single – for the early 1-0 lead. However, senior Cortni Mendozacontinued to be lethal in the lead-off spot for the Saints as she tripled down the left-field line and tied things at 1-1 after a wild pitch by NWC’s Samantha Ubben. Over the following three innings, the Red Raiders tagged on four runs for the 5-1 advantage. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Saints cut the Red Raider down to three runs after Mendoza scored on a 2-out dropped fly ball by NWC’s Lauren Pavich. Northwestern would earn the run back in the top of the next inning to bring the Red Raider lead back up to four.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Saints went to work. The Saints opened the inning with back-to-back-to-back singles by Celia Cerezo, Jadwyn Parrish, and Darrian Gibson (JR/Box Elder, SD) to load the bases. After a Skye Carter (FR/Sacramento, CA) ground out to second base to score Cerezo, Cortni Mendoza hit for another RBI on the day as she single to shallow left-field to bring home Parrish. The final two runs came off the bat of Cherie Malacas as she singled up the middle to tie things at 6-6.
With either team unable to produce anything further over the final inning, extra innings were to come. With each team starting a player out on second base, neither could get anything offensively going over the first inning of extras. However, in the top of the ninth, the Red Raiders struck a run for the one-run advantage. Unable to get things rolling in the bottom of the ninth, the Saints fall 6-7 in the second game of the day.
Cortni Mendoza had a stellar game offensively – despite the loss – as she went 4-for-5 with three runs, one RBI and a triple. The senior nearly had half of the team’s hits (10) in the game. Teammate Jadwyn Parrish was the final Saint with multiple hits with two, while Cherie Malacas, Sierra Kilmer (FR/Vancouver, WA), Celia Cerezo and Darrian Gibson each added one.
Darrian Gibson suffered her first loss as a colligate pitcher for the Saints as she let up seven runs (6ER) off 13 hits, seven walks and striking out one in nine innings of work.