SUNSET REGION: Efficient Huntly helps Bulldogs top Panthers

When Centennial’s Taylor Huntly pitches well, her defense has to be prepared to make plenty of plays.

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs were more than ready.

Backed by a sparkling defense, Huntly tossed a five-hit shutout on just 76 pitches, leading the Bulldogs to the winners’ bracket final of the Sunset Region tournament with a 2-0 victory over Palo Verde at Bishop Gorman.

“I knew my defense had my back, and they knew I had theirs,” Huntly said. “Knowing that I had them behind me was important. As much as I’d like to be, I’m not a strikeout pitcher.”

Centennial (28-7) will face Shadow Ridge (17-9) at 3 p.m. today at Gorman. The winner moves into the region final.

“She was super-efficient, and her confidence just built throughout the game,” said Centennial coach Mike Livreri. “She was on today.”

Huntly got 14 of the 21 outs on ground balls, none as spectacular as second baseman Bailie Nelson’s effort in the fifth inning.

Kelsea Sweeney hit a ground ball targeted for center field. Nelson took three steps to her right, dived head first to spear the ball and got just enough on the throw to nip Sweeney at first.

“That was a beautlful play,” Livreri said. “I haven’t seen very many better than that this year. Every out was important.”

Shortstop Heather Bowen ranged into short left-center to take a potential two-run single away from Palo Verde’s Rachael Turner in the first and turned a great double play on a line drive in the sixth.

Bowen also made a wonderful backhanded play in the hole in the seventh to rob Melissa Lacro.

Third baseman Savannah Horvath went to her backhand on the next batter to steal a hit from Brooke Stover.

Huntly struck out only one batter — Sweeney for the final out of the game — but the Bulldogs were errorless behind her.

Centennial got the only run it needed when Mia Acuna reached on an error in the first inning and scored on Horvath’s two-out single. Bowen added a two-out RBI double in the third as Centennial managed only five hits, two of them doubles by Bowen.

Rachel Williams was 2-for-3 for Palo Verde (24-10), which will face Gorman (24-5-1) in an elimination game at 3 p.m. today at Legacy.

Shadow Ridge 8, Arbor View 2 — At Gorman, Tana Feiner tossed a six-hitter, and for the second straight game the Mustangs grabbed a big lead in the top of the first inning on the way to their third win of the year over the Aggies (22-5).

Feiner allowed just two looping singles in the first four innings against the usually-potent Aggies, helping the Mustangs to build a 6-0 lead.

“She got a couple of strikeouts, but she makes people put the ball in play,” Shadow Ridge coach Art Cassman said. “She gets a lot of little ground balls or bloopers, and our defense makes you hit the ball well to get on base.”

Shadow Ridge scored four runs in the first inning when Taylor Velarde hit a three-run triple with two outs, and later scored on an illegal pitch.

Jojo Brewer singled home a run and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.

The Aggies’ only real threat came in the fifth when Dacia Sykes hit a hard line drive that ricocheted off Feiner with two outs. Karli Lehr followed with an RBI double, and Ke’Anna Kamaka hit an RBI single, but Feiner retired Ashlyn Ames on a soft grounder to end the threat.

Brewer was 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Justin Garganese and Danielle Buecker each went 2-for-4 for the Mustangs.

Lehr was 2-for-4 for Arbor View, which will meet Desert Oasis (16-16) in an elimination game at 5 p.m. today at Legacy.

Desert Oasis 13, Spring Valley 2 — At Legacy, Taylor Beacham went 3-for-4 with a double, six RBIs and a run as the Diamondbacks scored 10 runs in the top of the fifth inning to slug their way past the Grizzlies (16-12) in five innings.

Desert Oasis scored one run in the first three innings before sending 14 hitters to the plate in the fifth.
Mallory Hall supplied two hits, a walk, and an RBI for Desert Oasis, which got two-run singles from Emily Heinz and Audrey Blockovich.

Katie Campo provided two hits and an RBI for the Grizzlies.

Bishop Gorman 3, Durango 1 — At Legacy, Dayton Yingling spun a five-hitter, fanning five with three walks as the Gaels edged the Trailblazers (14-18).

Yingling was backed by solid defense in the field, and escaped tight jams in the first and seventh innings.

“She kept a lot of easy routine plays for her fielders,” Bishop Gorman coach Kevin Smith said. “She stepped up when we needed her to by striking out the final girl to get out of the first inning when they had runners at second and third. And then again by striking out the final out of the game with the bases loaded. For the most part, she was hitting her spots and mixing up the speeds. But that was really big that she stepped up with runners in scoring position.”

The Gaels scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Alexandria Gordon started the rally with a leadoff single, moved to second on a passed ball, and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Yingling. Carrie Keller then laced a single to plate Gordon. Keller scored on a wild pitch, and Miranda Robles came home on a throwing error.

Durango’s lone run came in the top of the fifth inning when Katie Moore lined a single to score Kendall Short, who finished 3-for-4 with a double.