Salpointe Catholic and Canyon del Oro are on a collision course in multiple sports.
The Lancers and Dorados both won in softball on Thursday night, setting up a Class 4A state championship game at Hillenbrand Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday at the home of the Arizona Wildcats. Later that night, Salpointe and CDO will square off for the 4A state baseball title at Hi Corbett Field.
Other teams advanced to their state championship games with wins on Thursday night. Top-seeded Nogales held off No. 9 Scottsdale Desert Mountain 9-3 in a Class 5A elimination baseball game, one night after the ninth-seeded Wolves pulled off an upset, forcing a winner-take-all semifinal game.
The Apaches will take on No. 3 Buckeye Verrado at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium, with the winner capturing a state crown.
In 5A softball, Catalina Foothills’ season came to an end with an 11-1 semifinal loss to Surprise Willow Canyon at Rose Mofford Softball Complex in Phoenix. The Falcons would have had to beat Willow Canyon twice on Thursday to advance to the final.
Top-seeded Cienega advanced to the Class 5A state final in boys volleyball, beating Peoria Sunrise Mountain 3-0 (25-20, 25-21 25-10). The Bobcats will face No. 3 Gilbert in Saturday’s final, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Mesa Skyline High School. Third-seeded ALA-Gilbert North eliminated second-seeded Salpointe Catholic from the 4A bracket with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-16 win.
Here’s a look at Thursday’s scores and what’s on tap the next few days:
THURSDAY
BASEBALL
Class 5A state semifinals, elimination game
No. 1 Nogales 5, No. 9 Scottsdale Desert Mountain 3
SOFTBALL
Class 5A state semifinals (double-elimination bracket)
No. 1 Surprise Willow Canyon 11, No. 3 Catalina Foothills 1
Class 4A state semifinals (double-elimination bracket)
No. 1 Salpointe Catholic 8, No. 7 Cottonwood Mingus 3
No. 2 Canyon del Oro 11, No. 4 Paradise Honors 1
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Class 5A state semifinals
No. 1 Cienega def. No. 4 Peoria Sunrise Mountain 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-10)
Class 4A state semifinals
No. 3 ALA-Gilbert North def. No. 2 Salpointe Catholic 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-16)
FRIDAY
SOFTBALL
Class 3A state title game
No. 1 Sabino vs. No. 2 Winslow at Farrington Softball Stadium, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Class 5A state championship game
No. 1 Cienega vs. No. 3 Gilbert at Mesa Skyline High School, 4 p.m.
MONDAY
BASEBALL
Class 4A state championship game
No. 4 Canyon del Oro vs. No. 3 Salpointe Catholic at Hi Corbett Field, 7:30 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Class 4A state championship game
No. 1 Salpointe Catholic vs. No. 2 Canyon del Oro at Hillenbrand Stadium, 5 p.m.
TUESDAY
BASEBALL
Class 5A state championship game
No. 1 Nogales vs. No. 3 Buckeye Verrado at Tempe Diablo Stadium, 4 p.m.
Photographs of Tucson/Southern Arizona teams in select games of the 2022 Arizona state championships, covered by the Arizona Daily Star.
