5A-I SB: Red Mtn. routs Mtn. Ridge; Gilbert nips Salpointe

May 10, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Defending 5A-I softball champ Red Mountain has lost eight games this season, but none in the fashion it did last Friday night/Saturday morning in a winners bracket game against Mesa Mtn. View.

The 14-8 pounding Red Mountain absorbed four days ago seemed to revitalize the Mountain Lions on Tuesday as they faced the possibility of elimination. Red Mountain crushed and eliminated No. 5 seed Mountain Ridge, 11-1, in five innings at the Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

Red Mountain (28-8) gets the chance to avenge its worst loss of the season Wednesday starting at 5 p.m. at Rose Mofford. Red Mountain must beat No. 4 seed Mesa Mountain View twice Wednesday to earn a shot at repeating as state champions.

"I was laying in bed last night thinking we have to come out and play well," Red Mountain coach Rich Hamilton said. "If we're going to go out, let's go out and play well....

"I hoped we would do this. We needed to do this. We came out with an attitude."

That Red Mountain did. From  two perfect bunts to open the bottom of the first by Haley Culley and Sara Goodrum that touched off a five-run opening frame, to a rocket doublein the right-center field gap by Courtney Sherwin to close the game with an RBI and the 11th run to initiate the 10-run rule in the last of the fifth, Red Mountain was not to be denied in its bid at a repeat/

Red Mountain added five more runs in the second inning (10 runs and 12 hits in the first two innings) to put Mountain Ridge on its heels. Freshman pitcher Breanna Macha tossed a three-hitter, fanned six and walked none to complete a very good night for the tournament's No. 1 seed.

Eight of Red Mountain's starters had at least one hit and the one who did not, Jordan Beck, plated two runs with a sacrifice fly and bases-loaded walk. Goodrum and Macha had three hits apiece and Culley, Sherwin and Ashley Sunderhaus added two hits each.

Mountain Ridge averted a shutout with two outs in the top of the fifth on a solo homer by Amanda Cole, which extended the game another three batters.

In the other 5A-I elimintation game at Rose Mofford on Tuesday, Alex Vela doubled home the tie-breaking and winning run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to lift No. 2 seed Gilbert past No. 10 Salpointe, 5-4.

Gilbert advances to face No. 3 seed Basha on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Rose Mofford. Gilbert must beat Basha twice to reach the championship game on Friday.

Gilbert's victory avenged its only loss of the tournament, 3-0 last week to Salpointe. Leading the way for Gilbert was sophomore second baseman Marisa Stankiewicz, who had two key hits -- a three-run homer to complete a great at-bat against Salpointe ace Gabi Ruiz in the third that put Gilbert ahead, 4-1. Stankiewicz also singled to start the winning rally in the sixth.

Gilbert pitcher Michelle Duncan was solid again, pitching out of several jams. She got out of a bases-loaded, no-out fix in the third to keep the Tigers within 1-0 at the time. Getting the lead on Vela's double in the sixth got Duncan fired out for the finish. She struck out the first two Salpointe hitters in the seventh, then got an easy comebacker to finish her  and the Tigers'  fourth win of the postseason.