Salpointe Lancers get the best of No. 1 Canyon del Oro to advance to 4A softball final

Malaea Rocha had been saving up her money for a while and asked her mother what she’d like for Mother’s Day. For Salpointe Catholic softball coach Amy Baray-Rocha, the answer was easy: A trip to the Class 4A state softball finals.

The Lancers were up against Canyon del Oro on Thursday exactly a week after defeating the Dorados to continue onto the semis. And again, No. 5 Salpointe pulled an upset over No. 1 CDO, this time 2-0 at Pima College.

Salpointe will play No. 3 Glendale Cactus at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe.

Now, Rocha won’t have to spend any of her savings for the perfect gift.

“I’m going to get (her) a ring,” Rocha said. “That’s going to be even better.”

The CDO-Salpointe rematch played much faster than last week’s matchup. The first half of the game saw little action.

The Dorados managed five hits, all within the first four innings, but weren’t able to capitalize and were held off the latter half of the game.

“I paid more attention to what pitches I was throwing and hitting better spots,” Lancers pitcher Alyssa Aguilar said. “I had seen them a couple times, so I knew what to expect.”

Aguilar, a freshman, pitched a complete game, striking out two and walking one.

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The Lancers got their first hits in the bottom of the fourth. Yannira Acuna drew a walk and a single by shortstop Dian Montano scored Acuna to give Salpointe the lead.

Baray-Rocha called CDO an amazing team, and said their starting pitcher Amya Legarra didn’t make the win easy. CDO faced long odds coming out of the loser’s bracket; had the Dorados won Thursday, the teams would’ve played again Friday, with the winner advancing.

“She threw the best, she had her best on the mound,” Baray-Rocha said. “We had to battle every single pitch. So, hats off to Amya because she’s a class act. And she made us work hard all season.”

Rocha led off in the sixth for the Lancers. Before she stepped into the box, her father and assistant coach Oscar Rocha had a message: Get on base and we’ll get you home. The junior hit a bouncing ball that jumped right over CDO’s shortstop for a single. Three at-bats later, Giselle Munoz doubled to score Rocha and provide an insurance run.

“That was my mindset,” Rocha said. “I knew I needed to get on and I knew my teammates would have my back.”

Baray-Rocha said the team didn’t prepare any differently Thursday. In total, it was the fourth time both teams played each other this season.

Salpointe and CDO had split the two regular season games, but that familiarity helped the Lancers claim both postseason matchups.

“It was the same intensity that we’ve had all season,” Baray-Rocha said, “and that’s why it worked because we didn’t have to work on anything, it was natural.”