GLENDALE, Ariz. --- The Park Unviersity Gilbert softball team (1-1) split its opening day doubleheader with the Arizona Christian University Firestorm (1-1), Friday evening at the ACU Softball Field in Glendale, Ariz.
This doubleheader was a rematch between two teams that met in the 2025 Great Southwest Athletic Conference Championship semifinals. These games did not count toward conference record, as this was a rescheduling of Park-Gilbert's home series vs. Bethesda. Park-Gilbert and Arizona Christian will meet again for a GSAC series on March 13 and 14.
Game 1: ACU 7 Park 6
The opening inning of the 2026 season saw the Bucs take a 1-0 lead, courtesy of an RBI double from first baseman Annalise Chavez.
In the bottom of the third, ACU put three runs on the board. A ground rule double RBI was followed by a single that brought two runs in.
Park-Gilbert responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Left fielder Jada Montoya singled to right center and scored Chavez. Then second baseman Amaya Ruiz recorded an RBI single to tie things up at three. Montoya stole home later in the inning to give Park the slight lead.
The Firestorm had another three-run frame in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 6-4. The Bucs had one inning to overcome that deficit but could only muster one run. Ruiz had another RBI with her double to center field to close out this contest.
Grace Jump (0-1) was on the mound for game one of this season-opening doubleheader. Jump threw 95 total pitches, threw three strikeouts, and gave up three walks.
Both teams recorded a total of seven hits and zero errors.
Game 2: Park 6 ACU 5
The second game of the evening was another close, high-scoring affair.
Buccaneers center fielder Arianna Fjeldsted, who went 3-3 in this contest, got Park-Gilbert on the board first with the team's first home run of the season. The Bucs scored another run in the top of the first due to an infielding error.
Arizona Christian scored four runs in the second inning via an RBI single and a three-run homer.
After a scoreless third inning, first baseman Noelle Gumm added a pair of runs on the board with her RBI single to make the score 4-4. Gumm added another RBI in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly to right field. In the same inning, Park-Gilbert took a 6-4 lead as left fielder Dionna Leanio scored off an infielding error. That was the final scoring play of the evening as Park-Gilbert took home its first win of the year.
Buccaneers pitcher Daysy Juarez got the start in Game 2, pitching 5.1 innings and throwing three strikeouts on a total of 104. Jump closed the final 1.2 innings out and earned her first save of the season.
The Bucs logged six hits and two errors to the Firestorm's four hits and three errors.
Up Next
The Buccaneers return home this Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. MST, when they host the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (3-1) at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz.
