SUNSET REGION: Moore, Trailblazers take Bulldogs’ breath away in win

Katie Moore even had trouble breathing Tuesday.

Durango’s first baseman barely had the strength to walk and looked like she belonged in bed instead of a softball field at Majestic Park.

But the sophomore had plenty of strength when it counted most.

Moore belted a walk-off solo home run on a 2-and-2 pitch with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Trailblazers to a 6-5 win over Centennial in the opening round of the Sunset Region softball tournament. Durango (21-7) advances to meet Palo Verde (24-7) in a winners’ bracket semifinal Wednesday at 6 p.m.

“I told my coaches I was going to play,” said Moore, who was battling allergies. “I’m looking forward to sleeping right now, but everybody always says to leave on the field, and that’s pretty much what I tried to do today.”

Lifted for a pinch runner in the third inning, Moore re-entered the game and scored the go-ahead run on Taylor Short’s RBI single in the fifth inning as the Trailblazers (21-7) chipped away to erase Centennial’s 4-0 first-inning lead.

The Bulldogs (19-12-1) tied the game in the top of the seventh on Taylor Huntly’s two-out RBI single.

Before each inning, one of Durango’s bench players took Moore’s spot at first base, throwing ground balls to other infielders to allow for a few extra seconds of rest.

“Katie always gives 100 percent every day,” Durango coach Toni Del Toro said. “Even sick, she’ll give you everything she has. I don’t think she’d let me keep her on the bench.”

Mindy Larson added two hits and scored two runs for Durango, which won its 15th straight game.

“We did a great job of bouncing back and not giving up,” Del Toro said. “We want to stay in the winners’ bracket. We’re hoping to win four (games.)”

Alyssa Hotman had three hits, and Mia Acuna, Huntly and Kylie Bartlett each added two hits for Centennial. Bartlett also smacked a three-run homer in Centennial’s four-run first inning. The Bulldogs meet Clark in an elimination game at 4 p.m.

Palo Verde 10, Clark 0 — Erika Stratton went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer and two doubles, including a bases-clearing double in the first inning, as the Panthers (24-7) rolled past the Chargers (16-14) in five innings.

Danielle Hearn’s two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the fifth ended the game due to the run rule.

Winning pitcher Melissa McCormick went 2-for-3 and scored twice, while allowing only three hits with seven strikeouts. Angel Council added two hits for the Panthers.

Legacy 10, Desert Oasis 2 — Danielle Fuller and Jessie Wilhelm each had three of the Longhorns’ 18 hits as Legacy (26-3) won its playoff debut over the Diamondbacks (17-15).

Darcey Cochran, Sierra Pico, Kayla Murray, Danielle Pick, Michelle Beardsley and Hannah Weld added two hits apiece for the Longhorns, who will face Arbor View in a winners’ bracket game at 6 p.m.

C.J. Wilson went 2-for-3 for Desert Oasis, which will meet Bonanza in an elimination game at 4 p.m.

Arbor View 7, Bonanza 0 — Amanda Jones spun a four-hitter to lift the Aggies (18-7) past the Bengals (19-10-1).

Savanah Webster went 3-for-4 with two runs and broke open the game with a three-run blast in the fifth inning for the Aggies.

Jones, Berlin Panduro and Chelsa Baca each added two hits for Arbor View.