Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
SMCC Softball Opens 2025 with Wins over Northeastern JC and Yavapai College

SMCC Softball Opens 2025 with Wins over Northeastern JC and Yavapai College

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College softball team (2-3) opened its 2025 season with five games in Nevada over Jan. 24-25 and picked up victories over Northeastern JC and Yavapai College on Jan. 24. The Cougars also battled with Southern Nevada, Utah State-Eastern, and Salt Lake CC on Jan. 25. Sophomore Sadie Su'a batted .600 over the five games with two home runs, one double, six runs, two stolen bases, and five RBIs, while sophomore Michelle Balcazar hit .438 with one home run, seven RBIs, and six runs. 

Northeastern JC Recap

The Cougars held on for a 10-9 victory over the Plainswomen in SMCC's 2025 season opener. Tied at 2-2 after one inning, SMCC broke open the game with seven runs across the third and fourth to take a 9-3 lead. However, Northeastern JC chipped away at the advantage with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.

The Cougars added one run in the top of the seventh to take a 10-8 lead and slammed the door on a Plainswomen comeback in the seventh. 

Balcazar led SMCC with a three-hit performance, finishing 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs. 

Sophomore Jada Montoya and freshman Jerzey Jarvis had two hits apiece in their SMCC debuts. Montoya smacked a double and scored a run, while Jarvis scored three times, stole two bases, and drove in one. 

Sophomore Nadia Rascon scored twice and added a double, and fellow sophomore Victoria Garza posted a two-run double. 

In the circle, freshman Rebekah Mendoza earned the win with four innings of relief work. She worked around six runs and four walks while fanning two. Freshman Kayle James started the game for SMCC and went three innings with four hits, two earned runs, and one strikeout. 

Yavapai College Recap

The Cougars rallied from a 4-2 deficit to post a 7-5, eight-inning victory over the Roughriders. Tied at 5-5 in the extra frame, Rascon led off the inning with an RBI double to score Montoya. She then scored on an RBI single from Balcazar to give SMCC a 7-5 advantage. 

In the bottom of the inning, Su'a got a strikeout with one out and the bases loaded and induced a groundout to short to end the game. She earned the win with seven innings of work with five strikeouts and four earned runs. 

Balcazar went 3 for 4 with a solo home run in the sixth and three RBIs. Su'a was 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the second, two runs, and a stolen base, and Montoya was 2 for 4 with two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base. Freshman Eva Harrison was 1 for 3 with a run and RBI. 

James tossed a scoreless inning of relief with one hit allowed. 

Southern Nevada Recap

The Cougars lost 11-10 in a slugfest with the Coyotes, which featured 22 hits and 11 errors. Su'a, Jarvis, and freshman Kaeliann Glass had multiple hits in the loss. 

CSN led 7-3 after two innings and led 11-6 heading into the top of the seventh.

The Cougars would not go quietly, scoring five runs in the frame and putting the tying run on base with two outs. Su'a hit a two-run home run that plated Balcazar, Jarvis scored on a passed ball, and Elise Saucedo scored as a pinch runner in the inning. 

Su'a was 3 for 4 with three runs, three RBIs, and the deep fly, while Jarvis went 2 for 4 with a run and a triple. Glass finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs, and Harrison had a double and two RBIs. 

In the circle, Mendoza took the loss with six earned runs and two K's in 1.2 innings. James tossed the final 4.1 innings, allowing two earned runs and two walks with one strikeout. 

Utah State-Eastern Recap

SMCC led 2-1 after two innings, but Utah State scored five runs between the third and fifth innings to claim a 6-2 advantage. They tacked on an insurance run and held off a Cougar rally that plated three runs in the seventh to post the 7-5 victory. 

Trailing 7-2 with three outs to play, Glass led off the frame with a walk, and an error off Rascon's bat put runners on the corners. Balcazar plated a pinch-runner with an RBI single, and Rascon scored on another error. Erran brought SMCC to within 7-5 with an RBI single to score Balcazar, but USUE got the final out of the game from the next batter. 

Su'a led the charge offensively, finishing 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Sophomore Sabrina Erran, Harrison, and Balcazar had RBI singles, while Montoya, Rascon, Balcazar, and sophomore Sadie West scored runs. 

Mendoza took the loss after starting the game and allowing three runs, two unearned, and one strikeout in three innings. James and Su'a tossed two innings of relief apiece, and Su'a struck out four batters. 

Salt Lake CC Recap

The Cougars fell 17-2 (5 innings) to the Bruins to wrap up their time in Nevada. Glass and Jarvis produced RBIs in the fifth inning to help SMCC avoid the shutout. Harrison and Montoya had base hits earlier in the frame. 

Balcazar drew a pair of walks, and Erran, Su'a, and freshman Tazia Blake also drew free passes. 

Su'a took the loss after starting the game and allowing four earned runs in two innings. James tossed one inning of relief, and Mendoza pitched the final frame.