PRESCOTT, Ariz. - The Red Hawks came into the day looking to bounce back and upset the #2-seeded Buccaneers. Game 6 of the Cal Pac tournament was a thriller to the very end. After a back-and-forth battle, the Buccaneers came out on top 14-13 over the Red Hawks in eight innings.
The game was an absolute thriller and shootout from the very beginning as the Red Hawks pounded out 13 runs on 16 hits. The first inning was highlighted by Chloe Garcia's three-run home run. But Park answered back with three of their own to tie the game on three hits. Starter Jessica Ulshoeffer showed a lot of heart as the freshman was called upon to pitch in her third straight game. However, the Park bats were able to chase Ulshoeffer out of the game as she handed the ball over to Isabella Contreras. Contreras did a nice job of limiting Park's offense for the rest of the game as she allowed just five runs.
The Simpson bats kept pace with Park's offense as they scored in six out of the eight innings. The offense was highlighted by 16 hits and 6 of which were extra-base hits. The big bats in the lineup were highlighted by senior Chloe Garcia and freshman Kassandra Soria. Garcia hammered two home runs and drove in five runs while Soria had a key go-ahead two-run home run in the top half of the eighth inning. Shortstop Isabella Munoz had a team-high four hits which included an RBI triple and three runs scored.
Left fielder, Nicolena Holen continued her hot streak as she collected three hits which included two doubles and three runs scored. Also, Right fielder, Aubrey Zamora had a nice day at the plate as she collected two hits and a walk to go along with driving in two runs and scoring three times. Seniors, Ashley Miller and Alexis Zamora rounded out the Red Hawks lineup as they each collected singles.
The Red Hawks season will come to a close after dropping their second game of the tournament on day 2 of the Cal Pac Tournament. The Red Hawks showed a lot of grit throughout the season as they made a late season playoff push as they finished their season in fourth place at the Cal Pac tournament. However, the Red Hawks will be saying goodbye to ten seniors; Pitcher Sydney Moorhead, Shortstop Isabella Munoz, Center fielder Ashley Miller, First basemen Akela Holder and Brooke Blades, Third baseman McKenzie Martinez, Catcher's Chloe Garcia, Alexis Zamora, and Jeslyn Svejda, and Left fielder Aubrey Zamora.
The season for the Red Hawks was a rollercoaster one as it had its ups and downs. The Red Hawks started the year strong as they went into Texas and took five out of six games from some of the top ranked teams around the nation. It looked as if their 15 year playoff was in jeopardy when they entered early April at 1-9 in conference play. However, the girls got hot entering the final stretch of conference play as they won 10 out of the final 16 conference games to punch their ticket into the Cal Pac tournament as the number five seed.
A few girls were able to take home Cal Pac honors; senior Isabella Munoz won All Conference (INF) and Newcomer of the Year, freshman Nicolena Holen was an All Conference Honorable Mention, Senior McKenzie Martinez won the Champions of Character award, and junior outfielder Amy LeGrande made the All Academic team for her efforts in the classroom.
But the future looks bright as the Red Hawks look to continue their success this offseason as they prepare for the 2023-2024 season. Looking forward to next season, the Red Hawks look to return their entire pitching rotation that consists of Jessica Ulshoeffer, Kylee Potes, and Isabella Contreras.
On the offensive side, the Red Hawks look to return key players; Second baseman Marissa Ramirez, Third baseman Kassandra Soria, Outfielder Jayden Bayani, 2021 All Conference Selection Cailey Rizzardo, 2022 All Conference Selection Amy LeGrande, and this year's All Conference Honorable Mention Nicolena Holen. Combined with the incoming recruiting class, Simpson Softball should be a force to be reckoned with in 2024.
