YUMA, Ariz. – Arizona Western Softball (27-27, 26-1) extended its winning streak to three games with a doubleheader sweep of Phoenix (42-10, 33-9) on Thursday afternoon at Charlie Dine Softball Field, winning game one 5-4 before winning game two 9-8 in nine innings.  

The Lady Matadors used a five-run first inning to take the opener 5-4, holding off a late Bears' rally.

Tinley Schmidgall got the scoring started with a single that drove in Valerie Joaquin before Jessie Garcia smacked a three-run homer. Jasmine Molina knocked in a run with a single, giving the Lady Matadors a 5-0 lead.

Garcia held the Bears off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when Phoenix scored a run to cut the Lady Matadors' lead to 5-1. Phoenix scored three runs in the sixth inning but left the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the seventh.

Schmidgall finished the opener with two hits, going 2-for-4 while Garcia went 2-for-2 with a homer and three runs batted in.

Arizona Westen fell behind early in game two when Phoenix scored a run in the first inning. The Lady Matadors took a 2-1 lead in the third inning thanks to a two-run double from Tinley Schmidgall. After Phoenix took the lead back at 4-2, the Lady Matadors scored seven runs over the final four innings, tying the game in the sixth inning with a pair of runs.

The teams went back and forth in extra innings with Phoenix scoring two runs in the eighth before Schmidgall drove in a run with a single and Abigail Ibarra tied the game with a run-scoring double.

Emily Gamboa was the hero in the ninth inning, driving in Gigi Garcia with a single to give the Lady Matadors the 9-8 win.

Gamboa finished the game with three hits and drove in two runs while Schmidgall went 3-for-5 with three batted in.

The Lady Matadors are back home on Saturday, hosting Scottsdale in an ACCAC doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm at Charlie Dine Softball Field.