Desert Mountain Wolves Softball Invitational set for March 14-18

March 12, 2017 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


A 20-team field  that includes a pair of state champions anda  runner-up from last year highlight the 20th annual Desert Mountain Wolves Softball Invitational at Horizon Park. The tournament begins Tuesday March 14 and runs through Saturday March 18.

Hamilton, the Division I champ in 2016 and Pinnacle, the D-I runner-up a year ago are back to head the field. Ironwood Ridge, last year's D-II champion and Sahuaro, a D-II final eight squad last year are competing. In addition three more of the elite 8 last year in D-I are on hand (Desert Vista, Campo Verde and Chandler). Seventeen of the 19 Arizona teams entered qualified for state in their respective divisions last year.

Desert Vista is the defending tournament champion. The Thunder edged Pinnacle, 2-1, for the 2016 tourney title. Admission for all games and all days is free and games are played on four adjacent fields allowing spectators to sample several games at a time or focus on one.

March 14-16 games are non-bracket play. Bracket play is March 17-18. First-round bracket play is Friday with semis and finals on Saturday.

TUESDAY MARCH 14

1 p.m. --  Mountain Ridge vs. Highland. 3 p.m. -- Sahuaro vs. Pinnacle, Campo Verde vs. Desert Vista, Desert Mountain vs. Chandler, Hamilton vs. Corona del Sol. 5 p.m. -- Sahuaro vs. Basha, Chaparral vs. Centennial, Ironwood Ridge vs. Chandler; Horizon vs. Mountain Ridge. 7 p.m. -- Pinnacle vs. Basha, Campo Verde vs. Shadow Ridge, Ironwood Ridge vs. Desert Mountain and Hamilton vs. Horizon.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 15

1 p.m. -- Desert Vista vs. Shadow Ridge, Horizon vs. Highland. 3 p.m. -- Shadow Ridge vs. Centennial, Campo Verde vs. Chaparral, Queen Creek vs. Chandler, Corona del Sol vs. Highland. 5 p.m. - Red Mountain vs. Basha, Pinnacle vs. Millennium, Punahou, HI vs. Queen Creek. 7 p.m. - Red Mountain vs. Pinnacle, Basha vs. Millennium, Desert Mountain vs. Punahou HI, Corona del Sol vs. Mountain Ridge.

THURSDAY MARCH 16

1 p.m. -- Red Mountain vs. Millennium, Hamilton vs. Mountain Ridge, Corona del Sol vs. Horizon. 3 p.m. -- Red Mountain vs. Sahuaro, Desert Vista vs. Chaparral, Ironwood Ridge vs. Queen Creek, Hamilton vs. Highland. 5 p.m. -- Sahuaro vs. Millennium, Campo Verde vs. Centennial, Punahou HI vs. Ironwood Ridge. 7 p.m. -- Shadow Ridge vs. Chaparral, Desert Vista vs. Centennial, Desert Mountain vs. Queen Creek, Chandler vs. Punahou, HI.

FRIDAY MARCH 17

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET PLAY (teams 1-8)

2 p.m.:  First round -- 1 vs. 8; 4 vs. 5; 3 vs. 6 2 vs. 7.

SILVER BRACKET PLAY (eams 9-16)

4 p.m. First round --  9 vs. 16; 12 vs. 13; 11 vs. 14; 10 vs. 15.

SATURDAY MARCH 18

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET PLAY (teams 1-8)

2 p.m. -- Winners and losers bracket semis; 4 p.m. -- Championship, 3rd-place, 5th-place and 7th-place games.

SILVER BRACKET PLAY (teams 9-16)

8 a.m. -- Winners bracket semis; 10 a.m. -- Losers bracket semis.  Noon -- 9th-place consolation champion; 11th-place, 13th place and 15th place games.

BRONZE BRACKET PLAY (teams 17-20)

8 a.m.: 17 vs. 20; 18 vs. 19. 10 a.m. -- 17th-place game (8 a.m. winners); 19th-place game -- (8 a.m. losers).