A dialed-in Kelly Decker and an overpowering offense proved to be too much as second-seeded Ironwood Ridge topped No. 18 Sunnyside 11-1 in the second round of the Division II softball state playoffs.
Decker allowed just two hits while striking out four, including two in the final frame, while the offense has now outscored opponents by a combined 195-33 this season, excluding invitationals.
Advancing to the double-elimination portion of the tournament, the Nighthawks (18-1) move on to play No. 23 Casa Grande on Thursday. The game is scheduled to be held at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix but it could be moved.
βWe went out and did the things we needed to do,β I-Ridge coach Rich Alday said. βIt was a complete performance as far as that goes.β
I-Ridge, the 2014 Division II state champion, fell victim to a second-round upset last season and was on high alert after seeing what Sunnyside knock off No. 15 Buckeye Verrado 9-5 in Saturdayβs opening round.
That was still the case, even though I-Ridge had already beaten the Blue Devils 8-0 back in late March.
It didnβt help Sunnyside that the Nighthawks had dropped their first regular season game just days prior, in a 5-3 loss to top-seeded Canyon del Oro.
βIt made us a lot more focused,β Decker said. βIt reminded us that we are beatable and that there are teams out there that want it just as bad as we do. We came in a lot more focused and ready to play.β
The Blue Devils jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Grisdey Parades drove in Jokaira Paredes on a fielderβs choice in the first.
I-Ridge answered in the second on a slapper to third by Kelsey Buechler to tie it at 1-1, after a passed ball moved Jaiden Reid and Alexis Orth into scoring position.
A bunt a batter later by Loriann Olson and an error on the throw to follow brought in Orth to give the Nighthawks to go-head at 2-1.
Sunnyside looked to have something going again in the third, after Marsha Hernandez singled to get on base, but a double play quickly ended the inning.
Having seen plenty of Sunnyside freshman ace Jazmine Anayaβs, I-Ridge exploded for six runs in the fourth inning.
βWhen that first run scored I got a little nervous,β Alday said. βWe came back and swung the bats really well. We were more selective with the pitches we wanted to hit and the balls started finding holes.β
Batting around and then some, a lead-off double by Orth got the big inning started. Another bunt-error by Olson two batters later made it 3-1.
An error on the next play would load the bases and sacrifice at the shortstop by Reina Bondi made increased the lead to 4-1. Up next was Isabel Pacho clearing the bases with a double to right center field to make it 6-1.
A one-hop double to the left field fence by Annika Baez a batter later brought in Pacho extending the lead to 7-1. Skylar Barcety blasted a ball to the left field fence of her own on way to an 8-1 lead.
I-Ridgeβs bats were back at it again in the fifth when Buechler started the inning off with an infield single. A bunt by Olson and another error, one of six for the Blue Devils on the day, put the pair in scoring position.
A ball put on the second baseman by Bondi a batter later, failed to make it home before Buechler plated the Nighthawkβs ninth run.
Pacho ended the game with a double down the right field line, again clearing the bases to finish with a game-high four RBIs.
-Jason Harris
Blevins leads top-seeded CDO to third round
Canyon del Oro senior Gabi Blevins tossed seven innings of two-hit, one-run softball to help lead the top-seeded Dorados pat No. 16 Desert View 4-1 on Tuesday.
CDO, the winner of 16 straight games, faces No. 8 Tucson High in Thursday's third round, with a chance to move within two wins of a trip to the Division II state championship game.
Blevins, who earned her eighth win inside the circle, struck out six and gave up just two singles in Tuesday's second-round victory. With Blevins mowing the Jaguars down, that allowed the DoradosΒ to rely more on its defense.
βI knew I had a really strong defense behind me and I knew that our bats would come around,β Blevins said. βI knew if I got my job done, my teammates would come around and back me up as well.
"It's great to know as a pitcher, to go out there with the confidence knowing that my team is always behind me and they're going to get those runs. It allows me to breath and relax.β
In the bottom of the second inning, CDO sophomore Ellessa Bonstrom blasted a two-run double down the right-field line to give her team a 2-0 advantage. The Dorados tacked on runs in the third and fifth frames to cushion the lead.
The win marked the third of the season for the Dorados over the Jaguars.
βWe've lived and died with the long ball all year,β CDO coach Kelly Fowler said. βIt's nice to see us pull out a win in another way. That's the difficult part about winning in postseason-play, everybody gets to bring their best game.β
-Chuck Constantino
Perfect game by Aguilar-Beaucage powersΒ Salpointe
Behind a perfect game by senior Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage, sixth-seeded Salpointe Catholic cruised to a 10-0 win in five innings over No. 22 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows in the second round of the Division II state tournament.
βI donβt really think about what Iβm doing, I just go out and hope to get them out and I didnβt realize until the end,β said Aguilar-Beaucage, who struck out four. βEveryone was telling me it was a perfect game, so thatβs exciting.β
Salpointe (19-5) plays No. 3 Sahuaro on Thursday at site that will be determined. Sahuaro beat the Lancers 5-2 in March.
βBriannaβs a workhorse,β Salpointe coach Amy Baray-Rocha said. βShe is fun, energetic, exciting to watch and thatβs what she put on today. It was just a blast to sit back and watch her have fun with her friends.β
Freshman outfielder Malaealani Baray-Rocha, infielder Alex Parkhurst and sophomore infielder Frankee De La Cruz each had two RBIs for the Lancers.
Salpointe, which lost to Cienega in last year's Division II state championship game, finished with 10 hits and nine RBIs. The Lancers have won four of their last five.
βIt was exciting, all our hard work showed on the field today and what was most impressive is that you could tell they were playing for each other,β Baray-Rocha said. βWhen one didnβt get it done, the other one made sure they would get it done the next time and that excites me.β
-James Kelley
Sahuaro shakes off early struggles to move on
Third-seeded Sahuaro fell into a three-run hole right off the bat Tuesday, against No. 19 Sierra Vista Buena.
But some timely hits and clutch pitching by junior Lexy Coons has the Cougars moving on to double-elimination play in the Division II state tournament for the second straight season.
Sahuaro plays sixth-seeded Salpointe Catholic in the third round on Thursday with a trip to the state quarterfinals on the line.
Three errors by the Cougars in the top off the first inning allowed visiting Buena to go ahead 3-0. But Coons pitched six scoreless innings the rest of the way.
βShe was on all day long,β Sahuaro coach Jeff Fowler said. βShe had some pretty good stuff today.β
Sahuaro offense erupted for four runs in the fifth inning, with the help of a three-run triple by Jasmin Lopez. Fellow sophomore Lauren Wedman had two doubles in the win and drove in an insurance run in the sixth inning.
Trejo shines on both sides to lead Tucson High
Junior pitcher Mia Trejo struck got plenty of run support on Tuesday. And some of it was coming from herself.
Trejo struck out 12 for the complete game win and finished with 6 RBIs as eighth-seeded Tucson High rolled past No. 8 Goodyear Desert Edge 17-7 in the second round of the Division II state tournament.
The Badgers move on top play top-seeded Canyon del Oro on Thursday, in the first round of double-elimination play. Tucson reached this stage a year ago, before falling to Cienega, the eventual champ, and Desert Edge, in back-to-back games.
βWe were in this position last year and came out flat,β Tucson coach Danielle Rodriguez said. βNow I think weβre zoned in on exceeding where we left off last year.β
Trejo was surely zoned in, on her way to a big performance Tuesday. She hit a two-run double in the second inning and then a gran slam in the fourth, to all-but seal the win.
Senior Romy Sandoval also had two doubles as Badgers totaled 14 hits on their way to winning their third straight game.
βI think any of the teams are left could be a No. 1 seed,β Rodriguez said. "It just depends on the team that shows up that day.β
Defending champ Cienega falls late to Arcadia
Cienega saw its bid for repeating as Division II state champions come to an end on Tuesday.
The 12th-seeded Bobcats gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth on their way to losing 5-3 at No. 5 Phoenix Arcadia. Cienega finishes the season 17-15.
POSTSEASON GLANCE
SOFTBALL
DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, double-elimination after second round. Winner-take-all championship game)
First-round results
No. 12 Cienega 7, No. 21 Mesa Skyline 3
No. 16 Desert View 3, No. 17 Flagstaff 0
No. 18 Sunnyside 9, No. 15 Buckeye Verrado 5
No. 19 Sierra Vista Buena 12, No. 14 Gilbert Mesquite 7
Tuesdayβs second-round results
No. 1 Canyon del Oro 4, No. 16 Desert View 1
No. 2 Ironwood Ridge 11, No. 18 Sunnyside 1 (5 innings)
No. 3 Sahuaro 6, No. 19 Sierra Vista Buena 3
No. 6 Salpointe Catholic 10, No. 22 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows 0 (5 innings
No. 8 Tucson 17, No. 9 Goodyear Desert Edge 7 (5 innings)
No. 5 Phoenix Arcadia 5, No. 12 Cienega 3
Third round (double elimination) β Thursday, locations TBD
No. 8 Tucson vs. No. 1 Canyon del Oro
No. 23 Casa Grande vs. No. 2 Ironwood Ridge
No. 3 Sahuaro vs. No. 6 Salpointe Catholic
DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
(32 teams, single elimination)
First-round results
No. 7 Catalina Foothills 5, No. 26 Lake Havasu 4
No. 10 Douglas 15, No. 23 Lee Williams 0
No. 16 Empire 13, No. 17 Glendale Apollo 2
No. 11 Phoenix Bourgade Catholic 3, No. 22 Sahuarita 1
No. 19 Rio Rico 9, No. 14 Avondale Agua Fria 1
No. 24 Nogales 6, No. 9 Goodyear Estrella Foothills 0
Second round β Thursday at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix
No. 10 Douglas vs. No. 7 Catalina Foothills, 5:30 p.m.
No. 16 Empire vs. No. 1 Yuma Cibola, 3:30 p.m.
No. 19 Rio Rico vs. No. 3 Mohave Valley River Valley, 3:30 p.m.
No. 24 Nogales vs. No. 8 Show Low, 3:30 p.m.
DIVISION IV STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First-round results
No. 19 Pusch Ridge Christian 16, No. 14 Willcox 14
No. 20 Tanque Verde 13, No. 13 Globe 0
No. 24 Amphitheater 18, No. 9 Florence 1
Second-round results
No. 1 Benson 12, No. 16 Phoenix Country Day 0 (5 innings)
No. 3 San Manuel 9, No. 19 Pusch Ridge Christian 8
No 5 Pueblo 14, No. 21 Thatcher 4
No. 4 Yuma Catholic 13, No. 20 Tanque Verde 11
No. 24 Amphitheater 2, No. 8 Chandler Prep 0
Quarterfinals β Friday at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix
No. 24 Amphitheater vs. No. 1 Benson, 5 p.m.
No. 11 Morenci vs. No. 3 San Manuel, 5 p.m.
No. 4 Yuma Catholic vs. No. 5 Pueblo, 5 p.m.
DIVISION V STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First-round results
No. 13 San Miguel 13, No. 20 Williams 0 (5 innings)
No. 12 Mayer 13, No. 21 Bisbee 12
No. 9 San Carlos 8, No. 24 Academy of Tucson 7
No. 11 St. David 14, No. 22 Mogollon 10
Second-round results
No. 4 Elfrida Valley Union 17, No. 13 San Miguel 6 (5 innings)
No. 6 Joseph City 16, No. 11 St. David 14
Quarterfinals β Friday at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix
No. 5 Winkelman Hayden vs. No. 4 Elfrida Valley Union, 5 p.m.
