Basha softball completes perfect February, bombs Hamilton

February 29, 2012 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


It almost seemed unfair.

Last year's 5A-I softball runner-up Basha, with eight games under its belt, facing Hamilton, playing its first game of 2012.

Basha, with one of the top pitchers in the state in tow in Kailey Regester and nearly its entire team returning from 2011, playing Hamilton with no experienced pitching and a handful of returning starters.

When the game finally concluded  two-and-a half hours after it started, it ended the way it appeared it might. Basha rapping out 22 hits and four home runs and posting a 21-8 triumph over host Hamilton.

"That was like four games in one," Basha coach Scott Hoffmeyer said. "We're close to run-ruling them at 13-3 and the next thing you know its 13-8. We didn't do a good job of finishing."

At least the first chance it got. Regester, who missed the first third of last season with a fractured jaw and  resurfacedin late March to help lead a state-title run, homered in her first at-bat to help Basha get off to a 2-0 lead. When her teammates tacked on nine runs in the third, the Bears had an 11-2 lead heading to the fourth.

Not thinking Regester had the zip on her pitches she normally does and with a comfortable lead, Hoffmeyer replaced her in the fourth with Kelsey Tidwell. Tidwell gave up a solo homer in the fourth. Basha tacked on two runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Alexis Bandin, who came in to hit for Regester. A 13-3 lead. Three outs needed to finish it in the bottom of the fifth.

Fifteen minutes late, Hamilton strung together five hits, including another home run and scored five runs. The Huskies had gone from going home early to being back in contention at 13-8. Regester returned to the circle after Hamilton's Rayven Cannon launched her second home run of the game to cap the rally. 

That rally brought ire from the Basha dugout. The Bears regrouped with an eight-run sixth. That bumped the score to 21-8. Regester finished the game with a 1-2-3 sixth.

Hamilton's pitching, even if it had more experience, might have been overmatched anyway by the potent bats Basha possesses. Courtney Hiruko lead the 22-hit attack with four hits. Hailey Siroky and Nicole Matta had three hits apiece  and Hailey Maher, Regester, Tidwell, Lauren Rector and Kylie Shull had two hits each. Both of Shull's hits were three-run homers, giving her three for the season. That's tied for the team lead with Regester. Tidwell also homered.

"We had the normal first-game errors," Hamilton coach Keith Householder said. "I was proud of the way we came back. Then again I think Basha is the best team in the state....

"I'll know more about us tomorrow (Thursday) when we play again. If we come out, work hard and play well  we have a chance to be a good team and be a team that can make the playoffs. We have to do some things better."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basha ran its record to 9-0 with the victory and finished a week's worth of games in February perfect, including winning the championship of the Lion Country Classic at Red Mountain last weekend..