OUAZ pulls away from Arizona Christian 8-1 in GSAC Softball Championship elimination game
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OUA | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| ARI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
OUAZ broke open a tight game with six runs over the second, third and fourth innings and defeated Arizona Christian 8-1 on Tuesday evening in the 2026 GSAC Softball Championship at Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine, California. The result sends OUAZ into the elimination semifinal on Wednesday at 3 p.m., while Arizona Christian was eliminated.
Arizona Christian struck first in the bottom of the first. Brittany McCracken delivered an RBI double that scored Dayna Herrera for a 1-0 lead, and the Firestorm finished with 12 hits, including three doubles and a triple. But OUAZ answered quickly. The Spirit scored twice in the second to move in front 2-1, with Ava Seguin coming home on a wild pitch as part of the inning.
OUAZ added to the lead in the third when Savannah Sutton singled in a run and Angelina Granado followed later with an RBI single, pushing the advantage to 4-1. The decisive surge came in the fourth. With two outs, Seguin lined a three-run double to cap a four-run inning and stretch the margin to 8-1. Seguin finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored, three RBIs and a double, while Sutton went 2 for 3 with two runs, one RBI and a stolen base.
Stephanie Cortazar made that support stand up in the circle. The OUAZ starter worked a complete game, allowing one run on 12 hits with three walks and two strikeouts over seven innings to earn the win. Arizona Christian put traffic on the bases throughout the night but stranded 12 runners. Herrera also went the distance for Arizona Christian, striking out six while allowing nine hits and eight runs, seven earned.
OUAZ finished with nine hits, one error and five runners left on base in a game that lasted 1 hour, 52 minutes before an announced crowd of 55. Arizona Christian committed two errors and could not cash in after its fast start, as OUAZ held the Firestorm scoreless over the final six innings.
The win keeps OUAZ alive deeper into the conference tournament field in Irvine. Elsewhere in the bracket, ACU and Hope advanced to the winners bracket semifinal on Tuesday at noon, while BenU was set to face OUAZ in an elimination game at 6 p.m. Earlier round movement only covered the end of round two, and the championship schedule still includes one more round on Wednesday. Now, after Tuesday's result, OUAZ moves into the elimination semifinal on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
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