City Splits Doubleheader on Sophomore Day

San Diego City played its final home doubleheader of the season on Tuesday against Grossmont and dropped the first game, 2-1, but ended sophomore day with a 10-9 victory in game two. 

In the first game, Grossmont put the first run on the scoreboard in the top of the 3rd on an RBI-double by Mariah Mata. 

City's Nikki Rocha led the bottom of the 4th off with a double and then tied the game by scoring on Savannah Turner's single up the middle. 

Knights' starting pitcher Hadley Phipps allowed only six hits through the first six innings, but Grossmont broke the 1-1 tie with one run off three hits in the top of the 7th. It was all the Griffins needed to take the game. 

The second game was completely different with both teams combining for 19 runs, inlcuding four from the Knights in the bottom of the first to grab an early lead.

Madison Stephensen, Shyann Beddow (double), Anneliese Gutierrez, and Cyndi Cardona each had RBI hits to put them ahead 4-0.

Grossmont cut City's lead to one after posting a 3-run second inning, but the Knights responded with two runs in the bottom of the 2nd. 

Stephensen drove in her second run on a single and Beddow later followed with a sacrifice fly that brought Stephensen home to give City a 6-3 lead.

In the bottom of the 5th with the Knights holding a 7-5 advantage, Stephensen came through with her third RBI of the game on a single to left field. Nikki Rocha also singled-in another run to help her team regain a 4-run lead. 

Grossmont got right back in it with a 2-run home run by Kate Manes in the top of the 6th, but City added a vital insurance run in the bottom of the 6th on an infield hit by Irina Lainez that allowed Mykala Mercado to score from third base.

The Griffins scored two more runs in the 7th and had runners at the corners with two out, but Phipps, who pitched the final three innings, got the final batter to ground out as the Knights hung on for the 10-9 win. 

Prior to the start of Tuesday's doubleheader, seven sophomores, including Karah Barajas, Shyann Beddow, Cyndi Cardona, Madison Dagnino, Cali De La Rosa, Mykala Mercado, and Hadley Phipps, were honored during a ceremony in which head coach AJ Hull spoke about his outgoing players. 

The Knights will conclude the season with a road game at Palomar on Thursday at 3 p.m and another away game at Southwestern on Tuesday, April 22 at 3 p.m.