YUMA, Ariz. -- The Arizona Western College softball team (1-1) opened its 2026 season with a doubleheader split against College of Southern Idaho on Charlie Dine Field, claiming an 8-2 victory in the opener before falling 13-1 in six innings in game two.

Larissa Rueda powered the Matadors' offense in the opener, going 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and three runs batted in, while Jessica Smith was dominant in the circle with eight strikeouts and just one earned run allowed in a complete game effort.

"Jessica is a top tier pitcher," Matador head softball coach Joel Prickett said. "We're going to swing it, we're going to hit, we're going to score runs. I thought the first game we did well. Great thing for us, Jessica doesn't give a lot of fly balls, so, she had a lot of strike outs which makes it easier on our defense."

The Matadors broke through in the third inning of Game 1 when Aaliyah Soderlund scored the game's first run on a wild pitch. Analy Trejo followed with an RBI single, then Rueda delivered the decisive blow—a three-run shot to right field, stretching the lead to 5-0 and igniting the dugout.

Rauni Gallegos added to the offensive fireworks with a solo home run in the fourth, and Trejo continued her big day with a solo homer of her own. Soderlund capped the Matadors' scoring with a solo home run in the sixth inning, showcasing the team's power up and down the lineup.

Smith worked around trouble early, escaping a first-inning jam with a timely strikeout, and kept College of Southern Idaho in check by scattering six hits and allowing just two runs. The Matadors' defense backed her up, stranding key runners and maintaining control of the momentum.

Additional contributions came from Gallegos, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a solo homer and a stolen base, and Soderlund, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a home run. Trejo turned in a perfect day at the plate with two hits, including a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Game 2

Arizona Western struggled to find offense and fell behind early after a first-inning error led to an unearned run. Léa Fréchette doubled and walked, providing the team's only extra-base hit of the contest, while Alissa Piñon drove in the sole run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning to briefly tie the game.

College of Southern Idaho then seized control with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run double from a pinch hitter, and broke the game open in the sixth with a grand slam. Arizona Western committed four errors, leading to nine unearned runs, as the Golden Eagles capitalized on defensive miscues and big innings.

Nyomi Houston was a bright spot in Game 2, entering as a pinch runner to steal second and third before scoring the team's only run. Despite the lopsided score, the Matadors showed flashes of aggression on the base paths and moments of resilience at the plate.

"You'll have games like that," Prickett said. "We're playing a good team. Our second and third pitchers have to do better. Sometimes you just can't overcome errors that happen here and there. It's hard to get out of that. Analy had a little bad luck in the circle and defensively we gave them the first two runs. She did well, missed a few spots. The great thing about this game is the score never really tells the story. It's the whole snowball effect; both teams went through it."

Up Next

Arizona Western will close out its opening weekend against the College of Southern Idaho in a Saturday doubleheader at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. both games at Charlie Dine Field. Both games will be streamed on the Matador Sports Stream with Seth Hartley on the call. 

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