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Posted May 5, 2012, 6:16 pm

Raymond Suarez Pima Community College

The Aztecs won three games to claim the NJCAA Region I Tournament Championship on Saturday in Prescott, sending the Pima Community College softball team to the NJCAA National Tournament later this month in St. George, Utah

The Aztecs beat Eastern Arizona College and Yavapai College twice to win the tourney. They did so behind freshman pitcher Yvette Alvarez (Sahuarita HS), who was named the Region I Tournament MVP. She pitched 20 of the 21 innings played and earned all three wins on the mound.

Pima beat Yavapai 9-6 in the championship game. Alvarez threw six innings. In the seventh, with no outs and runners on second and third for Yavapai, Mari Contreras (Sunnyside HS) came in to close it out and earned the save. Contreras got outs from each of the three batters she faced. A flyout to first base ended the game.

Noelle Medina (San Manuel HS) hit a grand slam in the third inning as the Aztecs took control, going up 9-4. The Pima team scored five runs in that inning. Medina also scored two runs in the game. Jessica Schneider (Sahuaro HS) hit a home run in the first inning.

In its first game with Yavapai, Pima won 9-0 as Alvarez gave up 10 hits with one strikeouts and four walks in her complete-game outing.

The Aztecs got to Estela Pinon, the Yavapai pitcher they had lost twice to this season. Pima scored six runs in the sixth inning to run away with the win. Schneider went 3 for 4 with six RBIs, a run scored, a home run and double. Amber Calvillo (Tucson HS) and Aubre Carpenter (Sabino HS) each scored two runs in the game.

In the first game of the day for Pima, the Aztecs beat Eastern Arizona College 7-2 to eliminate them from the tournament. Jessica Sipe (Mountain View HS) and Cynthia Pelayo (Vision HS) hit back-to-back homeruns in the fifth inning. Pelayo finished 3 for 4 with three RBIs.

The NJCAA National Tournament is from May 17-19.

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