Softball: Desert Mountain Invitational update

March 15, 2018 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Pinnacle's Morgan Smith takes a home run cut for 3 runs in 4-0 win over Horizon. (AzPreps365 Photo)

Pinnacle was the first of two teams to finish undefeated Thursday in preliminary games of the 21st annual Desert Mountain Softball Tournament at Horizon Park.

A few hours later, nemesis Hamilton duplicated the feat. The two teams that battled for the big-school title each of the last two years and for the title of this tournament both years are the 1 and 2 seeds in the championship bracket that begins Friday.

The final spot in the top-eight bracket came down to the last at-bat of the final preliminary game as Highland scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to edge Corona del Sol, 5-4, on Victoria Sanchez'a two-out, two-run double. Highland tied Ironwood Ridge for the No. 8 spot in the power-rankings, but won the tie-breaker (fewest runs allowed).

The championshiip bracket seeds in order are: #1 Hamilton; #2 Pinnacle; #3 Sahuaro; #4 Cactus, #5 Chaparral; #6 Centennial; #7 Iolani HI and #8 Highland. The matchups Friday are all at 4 p.m. at Horizon Park -- Highland vs. Hamilton; Iolani HI-Pinnacle; Centennial-Sahuaro and Cactus-Chaparral. The semifinals (1 p.m) and final (3 p.m.) are set for Saturday.

The sliver bracket (teams 9-16) shook out this way: #9 Ironwood Ridge, #10 Campo Verde; #11 Red Mountain; #12 Queen Creek; #13 Shadow Ridge; #14 Corona del Sol; #15 Horizon and #16 Chandler. Silver bracket matchups Friday are at 2 p.m. with semis and final at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday. 

The bronze bracket (17-20): #17 Basha; #18 Boulder Creek; #19 Willow Canyon and #20 Desert Mountain. Those teams matchup for games Friday only at 10 a.m. and noon.

Pinnacle capped its four games with a 4-0 record by outpitching Horizon, 4-0. Sophomore Morgan Smith lined a three-run homer in the top of the seventh to break open a duel between Pinnacle's Marissa Schuld and Horizon's Morgan Leinstock.

Smith pitched and hit Pinnacle past Cactus in the Pioneers first game Thursday, 8-1. Smith had three hits, including two home runs and five RBI.  Schuld tossed a two-hitter and fanned 14. Leinstock struck out 11. In its four games, Pinnacle outscored opponents 39-1.

Hamilton knocked off Iolani HI and Sahuaro to complete its 4-0 run. The Huskies outscored their four opponents, 34-5. Hamilton launched three more home runs on Friday with Macy Simmons hitting two and Lorena Vasquez-Inzunza one.