SPRING JAMBOREE: Lacro, Palo Verde battle back from early deficit for softball win

Palo Verde’s softball team wasn’t exactly set up for success Thursday.

The Panthers entered the Spring Jamboree at Majestic Park with a shrinking bench and a pitching staff that appeared to be depleted. An early 3-0 deficit in the opening game against Empire (Ariz.) didn’t help.

It also didn’t matter. Melissa Lacro pitched well, and Palo Verde’s bats came to life for a 7-3, five-inning victory.

“They finally played with heart and had each other’s backs,” Palo Verde coach Kelly Glass said.

Lacro began the season as the Panthers’ No. 3 pitcher, but is the top option this weekend with Rachel Williams and Kelsea Sweeney not likely to pitch again until league play starts next week.

Lacro pitched a six-hitter and mainly kept the Ravens’ hitters off balance after surrendering three early runs and stranding two runners in the second inning.

“She is just awesome,” Glass said of Lacro, who also was 3-for-3 with three RBIs to lead Palo Verde’s 13-hit attack.

Williams went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Breanna Beatty was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs for the Panthers, who have already suffered three tough losses, all by one run.

Palo Verde (6-3) was a hard-luck 1-0 loser to Centennial two weeks ago, and early in the season, dropped a 4-3 verdict to Cimarron in a game in which the Spartans had two hits.

“The past couple of weeks we have been working on pushing through any obstacles,” said Glass, whose team started to turn things around with an 11-8 win over Legacy on Saturday. “They’re gaining confidence and starting to show what they can do.”

Palo Verde 17, Long Beach Jordan (Calif.) 0 — Sophomore Jenna Zuro, a call-up from the junior varsity, allowed only two base runners, one on a walk and one on a Panther error, in the win.

Mackenzie McBride was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, and Dejanae Gage went 3-for-3 with a triple, a double and three RBIs to lead Palo Verde’s 14-hit attack.

Kali Tomlinson was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and Lauren Oxford went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs for the Panthers, which got home runs from Williams and Breanna Beatty.

Coronado 19, Pahrump Valley 1 ­— Winning pitcher Danielle Amato went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBIs as the Cougars routed the Trojans in three innings.

Kiley Harrison was 4-for-4 for Coronado.

Chaminade (Calif.) 6, Coronado 5 — Taylor White went 4-for-4 with a double, three runs and an RBI as the Eagles nipped the Cougars in six innings.

Basia Query was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for Coronado, which took a 5-4 lead with a five-run fifth.

Beckman (Calif.) 1, Coronado 0 — Marissa Frausto went 2-for-3, and Beckman scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to edge the Cougars in six innings.

Kira Griswold tossed a three-hitter for Beckman.

Bell (Calif.) 10, Pahrump Valley 4 — Sujey Zamudio ripped a pair of doubles, and the Eagles used a seven-run second inning to down the Trojans in four innings.

Centennial 11, Mingus (Ariz.) 1 — Cheyenne Cudahy tossed a six-inning one-hitter, and the Bulldogs erupted for seven runs in the final inning to rout the Marauders.

Heather Bowen was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, and Alyssa Finger went 3-for-4 for Centennial.

Lauren Stroman was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Mia Acuna went 2-for-3 with a double for the Bulldogs.

Centennial 10, Apollo (Ariz.) 0 — Kate Rauskin spun a five-inning three-hitter with five strikeouts as the Bulldogs blitzed the Eagles.

Bowen and Savannah Horvath hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning.

Bowen was 2-for-2 with a double, and Acuna went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for Centennial. Kara Simpson went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, and Ashley Ross was 2-for-3 for the Bulldogs.

Green Valley 12, Schurr (Calif.) 0 — Fenixx Henderson fired a four-inning two-hitter to lead the Gators by the Spartans.

The Gators had only five hits in the game, but used an eight-run third to put it out of reach.

Fernley 8, Green Valley 7 — Autumn Owens hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to pull the Gators within a run, but they stranded the tying run at first base as the game ended due to the tournament time limit.

Durango 7, Harbor Teacher Prep (Calif.) 1 — Kaitlyn O’Hearn was 2-for-4 with two RBIs as the Trailblazers topped the Monarchs in six innings.

Dallas Boyce tossed a three-hitter and had a pair of sacrifice flies for Durango.

El Camino Real (Calif.) 9, Durango 1 — Reese Emard was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs as the Conquistadors downed the Trailblazers in five innings.

O’Hearn went 2-for-3 for Durango.

Maranatha (Calif.) 12, Bonanza 7 — Michelle Palfrey went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and the Minutemen outlasted the Bengals in five innings.

Bonanza’s Megan Rabe was 3-for-3 with two doubles, and Caitlyn Lloyd went 2-for-3 with two doubles for the Bengals, who also got two hits from Raquell Hoyes.

South Florence (S.C.) 14, Bonanza 0 — Lauren Burt’s home run highlighted a five-run second inning as the Bruins topped the Bengals in five innings.

Hoyes and Tori Lind each went 2-for-2 for Bonanza.

Rancho 8, Garfield (Calif.) 0 — Aly Lamboo fired a six-inning one-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Rams blanked the Bulldogs.

Brandy Marlett was 2-for-3 with a double, and McKinzi Vega went 2-for-3 for Rancho.

Empire (Ariz.) 4, Rancho 3 — Winning pitcher Christina Slattery was 2-for-3 with a double, and the Ravens held on to beat the Rams in six innings.

Kayla Coles was 3-for-3 for the Rams, who trailed 4-0 after three innings.

River Valley (Ariz.) 14, Cheyenne 8 — Haley Berggren was 3-for-4 and scored three runs, and the Dust Devils stormed back to score seven runs in the final inning of a five-inning win over the Desert Shields.

Jahnae Davis was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Courtney Gain went 2-for-3 for Cheyenne.

Bellarmine-Jefferson (Calif.) 16, Cheyenne 0 — Karina Hernandez tossed a five-inning two-hitter, and the Guards erupted for 12 runs in the final inning to top the Desert Shields.

Cristina Colon was 2-for-2 with three RBIs for Bellarmine.

Schurr (Calif.) 13, Valley 1 — Raeleen Fuentes tossed a five-inning no-hitter to help the Spartans down the Vikings.

Fernley 9, Valley 1 — Bailey Henderson was 3-for-3 with a double and two runs in the Vaqueros’ six-inning win over the Vikings.