State preps softball roundup: Silverado reaches 4A title game

Things looked pretty grim for the Silverado softball team Friday, as the Skyhawks faced a four-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning.

But with a five-run sixth, Silverado turned things around in a hurry and held on for a 7-6 victory over Cimarron-Memorial at Bishop Gorman to advance to the Class 4A state championship game.

The Skyhawks (21-9), the No. 1 seed from the Desert League, will face Bishop Gorman (23-10-1), the No. 1 seed from the Mountain League, in the title game at 10 a.m. Saturday at the College of Southern Nevada. Silverado must defeat the Gaels twice to claim the championship.

Yvonne Jimenez and Leanna Cortez each went 2-for-3 to lead Silverado, and Jocelyn Carr and Ava Monturio each had key doubles.

Destinee Lopez had two doubles to lead the Spartans (17-7), the No. 2 seed from Desert League, who scored in each of the first four innings.

— No. 2D Cimarron-Memorial 9, No. 2M Tech 5: At Gorman, Mariana Ponce, Destinee Lopez and Kenya Valdivia homered for the Spartans, who rallied from an early deficit to defeat Tech (17-8) in an elimination game.

Class 3A

— No. 1N North Valleys 2, No. 1S Virgin Valley 1: At Virgin Valley, the Panthers scored in the 10th to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season and advance to the state championship game. North Valleys will play Lowry (26-10) for the title at 10 a.m. Saturday. Lowry has to defeat North Valleys twice to claim the championship.

— No. 2N Lowry 3, No. 1s Virgin Valley 2: The Buckaroos scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to stun the Bulldogs (37-2). Virgin Valley, which came into the tournament undefeated, was eliminated, while Lowry advanced to the championship game.

— No. 2N Lowry 6, No. 2S Boulder City 4: The Buckaroos used a five-run third inning to eliminate the Eagles (18-15) earlier Friday.

Class 2A

— No. 1S Needles 20, No. 1N Battle Mountain 0: At Reno, the Mustangs (31-4) routed the Longhorns (19-7-1) at Hixson Park to advance to the state championship game. Needles will face Battle Mountain — a 17-12 victor over White Pine in an elimination game — at 9 a.m. Saturday for the title. Battle Mountain must defeat Needles twice to claim the championship.

Class 1A

— No. 1N Coleville 20, No. 1S Pahranagat Valley 15: At CSN, the Wolves (19-2) held off a late rally to advance to the state championship game. Mia Gridley had a home run, five hits and nine RBIs to lead Coleville, which will play Tonopah for the title at 10 a.m. Saturday at Bishop Gorman. Tonopah must defeat Coleville twice to claim the championship.

— No. 2S Tonopah 16, No. 1S Pahranagat Valley 12: At CSN, the Muckers (20-7-1) scored 11 runs in the first inning and held on to defeat the Panthers (21-7). Taylor Thomas went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead Tonopah, which advanced to the title game with the victory.

— No. 2S Tonopah 7, No. 2N Oasis Academy 0: At CSN, Montana Strozzi homered, and the Muckers stayed alive in an elimination game against the Bighorns (14-10).