FULLERTON – Hope International softball completed a four-game sweep of Park Gilbert in GSAC play on Saturday, winning games by scores of 5-3 and 4-3 at Bastanchury Park.

The Royals scored twice in the sixth in game one courtesy of a clutch double from Jocelyn Aguilar. In game two, HIU constantly pressured Park Gilbert pitching and had several chances to break the game wide open, but left 17 on base. However, the Royals scored just enough and held off a last inning rally to capture their third one-run win of the series.

Kaitlyn Maaske repeated her results from Friday, getting a complete game win in the opener, and earning the save in the nightcap.

Gabriela Holmes drove in a team-high three runs on the afternoon, including her first home run of the season.

Game 1 – Hope International 5, Park Gilbert 3
Park Gilbert tested Maaske throughout the game, generating 12 hits off the right-hander, including six in the first three innings. 

The Buccaneers took a 2-0 lead in the third on RBI singles from Bri Titus and Anna Chavez. Park Gilbert had a runner in scoring position in every inning but the seventh, but Maaske was resilient in improving to 11-7 on the season.

The Royals preserved a run in the fourth. The Buccaneers had runners on second and third when Noelle Gumm singled to left field. Kayla Seto waited to ensure the ball landed in the outfield, but in doing so, gave Holmes time to throw a perfect strike to nail her at the plate.

Park Gilbert starter Yaz Bernal kept the Royals off the scoreboard for the first three innings. But HIU responded with a three-run fourth to take a 3-2 lead.

The big blow came from Holmes, who lifted a ball over the left field fence for a two-run home run, scoring Amanda Esquivel, who led off the inning with a single. Chey Navarro followed with a double and later stole third, coming home on a Breanna Lucero base hit.

The Buccaneers, who stole three bases, used aggressive base running to tie the score at 3-3 in the sixth. Ari Fjeldsted singled and swiped second base, advancing to third on Dionna Leanio's groundout. Fjeldsted came home on Gumm's opposite field single.

Samara Romero came on in relief of Bernal in the bottom half of the sixth, and the Royals immediately put two runners aboard on a Navarro walk and Karlie Bilbrey bunt single. After Lucero advanced both runners with a groundout, Aguilar laced a double down the left field line for the 5-3 lead.

Maaske recorded two of her six strikeouts in a clean seventh, including Amaya Ruiz looking to end the game. Romero took the loss to fall to 5-3.

Game 2 – Hope International 4, Park Gilbert 3
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first as Holmes hit an opposite field single to plate Vivian Little, who led off with a double into the left field corner.

Park Gilbert tied the score in the second, as Titus led off with a double of her own. She moved to third on a groundout, and came home on Mady Lackey's safety squeeze bunt.

The Buccaneers took a 2-1 lead in the third as Fjeldsted, who finished 4-for-8 in the doubleheader, singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. She came home on Gumm's single.

The Royals retook the lead with a two-run third. Holmes singled and Navarro walked, with both runners moving up a base on Aliyah Sandoval's sacrifice. Natalie Corrales walked to load the bases, and Aguilar's grounder to third allowed a good throw to the plate to nab Holmes.

But Daysy Juarez issued one of her four walks to Little for the bases loaded free pass as HIU tied the score at 2-2. Lily Hernandez stung a single up the middle to bring in Corrales for the 3-2 lead.

HIU extended the lead to 4-2 in the fourth as Corrales drew a bases loaded walk.

HIU had the bases loaded in each of the first five innings, but still led by just two. However, Bilbrey was resilient in retiring seven of nine hitters from the fourth through sixth innings.

The Buccaneers walked eight Royals and hit five more batters, including four walks from reliever Grace Jump. However, Jump managed to toss 3.0 scoreless innings.

HIU's struggles with runners in scoring position opened the door for the Buccaneers in the seventh. Bilbrey got the first out, but allowed three straight singles to Fjeldsted, Leanio and Gumm, with the latter base hit scoring Fjeldsted and trimming the HIU lead to 4-3.

Maaske entered in relief for her second straight save opportunity, and she delivered once again, getting Titus to ground into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. The relay throw beat her to the bag by just inches. 

It was Maaske's third save of the season. Bilbrey moved to 4-2 overall, while Juarez took the loss to fall to 5-2.

The Royals are now 22-14 overall and in fourth place in the GSAC with a 9-7 record. The Buccaneers fell to 22-20 and 5-11 in conference play.

HIU continues GSAC action on Thursday with a noon doubleheader at La Sierra.