GLENDALE, Ariz. – Hope International concluded a six-game trip to Arizona with a doubleheader split against Simpson, falling in game one 5-4 before rebounding to win 7-6 in game two.

The Royals followed the same sequence in all three doubleheaders out in the desert, losing the first but winning the second against College of Idaho, No. 10 Oregon Tech and Simpson.

HIU returns to southern California with a 9-5 record after pounding out 12 hits in game two, and striking for five runs in the first inning.

Emma McCraw, who recently became the first Royal in school history to eclipse 200 career hits, went 3-for-6 with two RBI's in the twin bill.
 

Simpson 5, #21 Hope International 4

Simpson scored a run in the top of the fifth to break a 4-4 tie after Brianna Lopez-Cortez homered with one out off Kaitlyn Maaske.

Maaske had her toughest outing of the season as she allowed seven hits and five runs in 4.1 innings. Karlie Bilbrey saw her first action in the circle in 2026 and pitched 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

HIU fell behind 3-0 in the first as Lopez-Cortez contributed an RBI single followed by a two-RBI double by Olivia Bicondova.

The Royals turned a Chey Navarro leadoff single in the second into a run as she eventually scored on Bilbrey's RBI groundout to trim the deficit to 3-1. Simpson got the run back in the top of the third as Kassandra Soria doubled, with Lopez-Cortez sending her in on an RBI single.

Lopez-Cortez was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.

The Royals kept pace though as Lily Hernandez and McCraw had RBI singles in the bottom half of the third to close the gap to 4-3. Gabriela Holmes tied the score in the fourth. She led off against Red Hawk reliever Grace Chojnacki with an infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and came home on Amanda Esquivel's ground out.

Chojnacki retired 10 of the final 12 HIU batters, earning the win after 4.0 innings of relief. She scattered four hits and allowed one run with two strikeouts. 

Maaske fell to 4-3 on the season.
 

#21 Hope International 7, Simpson 6

Simpson put the Royals in a 2-0 hole as Soria notched a two-RBI double in the first.

The Royals stormed back with five runs on six hits in the bottom half. Esquivel led off with a single and HIU scored its first run on McCraw's RBI single. Holmes later knocked in a pair of runs with a double. Bilbrey brought Holmes home on a single and moved into scoring position on the throw, and HIU's fifth run came in on Annie Pintado's RBI single.

The scoring continued in the top of the second as five straight Red Hawks reached safely via three walks and two singles. Simpson tied the score at 5-5 – the final two runs coming in on bases loaded walks to Soria and Kahiwa Ili.

Simpson took a 6-5 lead in the third, manufacturing a run with a walk and three hit by pitches. 

Maaske was summoned from the bullpen with two outs in the third and restored order, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings. She scattered five hits and fanned two.

HIU tied the score with an unearned run in the fourth as Hernandez got aboard via a one-out error. McCraw singled to put runners at the corners, and Navarro's sacrifice fly scored Hernandez with the tying run.

The Royals plated the game-winning run in the fifth as Breanna Lucero led off with a double, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on Bilbrey's base hit.

Bilbrey finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Holmes also drove in a pair of runs.

Maaske earned the win to improve to 5-3. Simpson left 14 runners on base and fell to 4-4 on the year.

HIU returns to action at the prestigious NAIA SB Invitational in Shawnee, Okla. next week. The Royals open the tournament on Friday, February 20 with back-to-back games against No. 6 Grand View and Benedictine College (Kan.) at 10:00 a.m. and noon (PT).