IRVINE, Calif. – Hope International lost twice on Wednesday in the GSAC Softball Championship, eliminated after falling 5-1 to Embry-Riddle and 2-1 to OUAZ at the OC Great Park.
The Royals managed just eight hits between the two games, falling to 29-22 on the season.
Game 1 – Embry-Riddle 5, Hope International 1
The Eagles seized control with a 3-run first inning, loading the bases following a hit by pitch and two singles. Jade Bayless brought in Katie Jamieson on a sacrifice fly, and RBI singles from Jill Bock and Kealey Myhre created the early cushion.
HIU struggled to generate offense on ERAU starter Claire Streeter. The Royals scored their lone run in the fourth. With two outs, Chey Navarro walked and Karlie Bilbrey singled. Breanna Lucero's grounder was misplayed by the ERAU second baseman, allowing Navarro to come home to cut the deficit to 3-1.
HIU had a leadoff single in the sixth and a one-out double in the seventh, but Streeter kept the Royals off the scoreboard as she tossed the complete game, allowing five hits and the one unearned run. She walked three and struck out four.
Game 2 – OUAZ 2, Hope International 1
Facing elimination, the Royals scratched out a run in the first against OUAZ starter Ava Seguin. Lily Hernandez walked, and back-to-back singles by Gabriela Holmes and Dejalei Visesio scored the sophomore for the 1-0 lead.
The Royals had a runner at third with two outs in the second when the Spirit removed Seguin for Stephanie Cortazar. Cortazar got the next Royal to ground out to end the inning.Â
Cortazar retired 10 of the next 12 HIU hitters, allowing just a pair of walks through the fifth inning. HIU got a leadoff single from Holmes in the sixth, the lone hit off Cortazar in her 5.1 innings of work.
Karlie Bilbrey threw an excellent game for the Royals, keeping the Spirit off the board through five innings. OUAZ had a runner in scoring position in four of the five innings, but Bilbrey worked around the traffic to preserve the 1-0 lead.
OUAZ forged a 1-1 tie in the sixth following consecutive singles from Seguin and Savannah Sutton. Two straight sacrifice bunts brought in Seguin.
After the Royals went down in order in the seventh, OUAZ scored the winning run in the bottom half. With two outs, Brianna Humphries drew a walk. Alexis Jimenez followed with a triple into the right center field gap for the game-winning RBI.
Bilbrey suffered the hard luck loss to fall to 7-5, while Cortazar moved to 14-3.
HIU awaits the NAIA Selection Show to learn whether it receives an at-large bid into the NAIA Championship field. The show takes place on Wednesday, May 6 at 3:00 p.m. (PT).
