REDDING, Calif. - Due to the rain in the forecast over the next three days, the Red Hawks softball squad played a conference tripleheader today against Bushnell. At the end of the day, the Red Hawks notched three wins as they moved into fifth place in the CCC standings. 

The first game of the day proved to be a pitcher's duel as Simpson's Jacquelyn Lujan went head-to-head with Bushnell's Violet Richardson.

Simpson broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning as a key Bushnell error to begin the inning allowed the Red Hawks to take the 2-0 lead on a ringing two-run single back up the middle by Brianna Lopez-Cortez. 

That was all the support Lujan needed as she dazzled in the circle, as she picked up the complete game shutout victory. She scattered three hits while striking out seven batters. 

Richardson picked up the loss as she tossed 6.0 innings while allowing two unearned runs on three hits. 

Stellar pitching highlighted the game as Bushnell's Riley Peeler notched the only multi-hit performance between the two teams as they combined for six hits. 

Game 2:

Simpson struck early in the second game as they plated two runs in the first on two quality at-bats by Lopez-Cortez and Nicolena Holen. Lopez-Cortez drove home the game's first run on an RBI groundout, and Holen added a sacrifice fly. 

Lopez-Cortez highlighted a Simpson four-run second inning with a three-run blast into left field to give the Red Hawks the commanding 6-0 lead. 

Bushnell cut into the lead on a two-run single by Violet Richardson in the third inning. But the Red Hawks responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double by Olivia Bicondova. 

The Red Hawks closed out the run-rule victory in the bottom of the sixth inning as Lopez-Cortez drilled her second home run of the game on a shot to center field. Ariel Schulkump ended the game with an RBI triple to seal the game two victory, 11-3. 

Grace Chojnacki earned the win in the circle, allowing three runs in 6.0 innings of work while scattering five hits and striking out four batters. 

Her counterpart, Gabby Garza, picked up the loss as she allowed three runs in 1.0 inning of work. 

On offense, Adriana Delaney, Lopez-Cortez, and Holen led the team with two-hit performances. Lopez-Cortez had another stellar game as she drove in six runs. 

For Bushnell, Riley Peeler led the team with two hits while Violet Richardson notched two RBI's. 

Game 3

The Red Hawks drew first blood in game three as a leadoff single by Nayzeth Gonzalez came around to score on an RBI single by Lopez-Cortez. 

The Beacons exploded in the second inning as they plated five runs, as they took advantage of a two-out error by the Red Hawks. Maddy Mullenwider highlighted the inning with a three-run blast to left field. 

Simpson chipped away as they plated a run in the second and third innings to cut the deficit to two. 

Lujan came in relief of starter Isabella Contreras in the second inning and held the Beacons offense at Bay. Lujan kept Bushnell off the scoreboard as she fired 5.1 innings of shutout softball. 

Simpson took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as Lopez-Cortez picked up the home run hat rick on the day, while Madison Chapman posted an RBI single, and Bicondova notched the go-ahead RBI sacrifice fly. 

Lujan closed out the game as she induced back-to-back flyballs and struck out the final batter of the game to preserve the 8-5 victory as she earned her second win on the day. 

Lopez-Cortez and Holen led the Simpson offense with three-hit performances as they combined for three RBI's. 

Simpson looks to stay hot as they take on Southern Oregon next weekend in Ashland, OR. 
 

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