CHARGER INVITE: Wildcats survive endurance test, capture Black Division title

Las Vegas High softball coach Kelly Lindahl entered the week hoping to just make it through five games in the span of 30 hours.

The Wildcats have only 11 players on their roster, leaving little wiggle room for injuries or illness.

Four wins and a rather large trophy later, the Wildcats proved they could more than just survive.

Fueled again by senior pitcher Kristina Nelson, Las Vegas blanked Mater Dei Catholic (Calif.) 3-0 in six innings Tuesday in the Black Division championship of the Charger Invitational at Big League Dreams Sports Park.

“They really relied on each other,” Lindahl said. “They stayed together as a team.”

Nelson tossed a four-hitter in the title game. She struck out eight and didn’t allow a walk. Only one Crusader reached third base safely.

Nelson also tossed a complete game in the Wildcats’ 6-4 five-inning win over Brawley Union (Calif.) earlier Tuesday. She made one start and two relief appearances – including one in which she struck out all nine batters she faced — on Monday.

Against the Crusaders, Nelson kept hitters off-balance by throwing both a front-door and back-door curveball and a screwball.

“She worked really, really hard today,” Lindahl said.

Brooke Booth’s RBI double and a two-run, ground-rule double by Melody Sapin in the top of the first inning was all the offense Las Vegas needed.

Sapin and Nelson each went 2-for-2, and Sam Taylor was 2-for-4 for Las Vegas, which went 4-1 in the tournament and got a confidence boost prior to Northeast League play, which begins next week.

“This is really going to lead into our league season,” Lindahl said. “The girls will take it and run with it.”

Las Vegas 6, Brawley Union (Calif.) 4 — The Wildcats scored four times on five hits in the fifth inning to rally past Brawley Union in five innings.

Brooke Booth was 2-for-3 for Las Vegas, which trailed 3-0 after one inning.

Spring Valley 7, North Hollywood (Calif.) 1 — Georgi DeLio went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and two RBIs to lead the Grizzlies by the Huskies in six innings.

Martinece Robertson and winning pitcher Michaela Hood each went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Hood tossed a three-hitter with four strikeouts.

Spring Valley 5, Wilsonville (Ore.) 3 — DeLio was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and two RBIs, and Ellie Endsley went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to help the Grizzlies top the Wildcats.

Robertson went 3-for-3, and Hood was 2-for-3 for Spring Valley.

Arbor View 6, Bishop Gorman 4 — Ashlyn Ames went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and four RBIs as the Aggies built a 6-0 lead and held off the Gaels in four innings.

Shelby Estocado was 2-for-3 for Gorman.

Arbor View 8, Hilltop (Calif.) 5 — Ames hit a walk-off three-run homer to lift the Aggies by the Lancers in six innings.

Ames had four RBIs and scored twice. Kellie Anderson and Karli Lehr added two hits each for Arbor View.

Bishop Gorman 7, Desert Oasis 6 — Dayton Yingling belted a two-run home run in a three-run fourth inning that propelled the Gaels by the Diamondbacks in five innings.

Yingling also doubled for Gorman, which got a pair of doubles from Estocado.

Erin McInerney homered for Desert Oasis.

Hilltop (Calif.) 14, Desert Oasis 1 — Brittany Foster launched a grand slam as part of the Lancers’ 10-run first inning against the Diamondbacks.

Hilltop’s Victoria Lopez limited Desert Oasis to four singles.

Cimarron-Memorial 6, Taft (Calif.) 1 — The Spartans scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth en route to the six-inning win over the Toreadors.

Stevie Southard pitched a seven-hitter for Cimarron.

Birmingham (Calif.) 6, Cimarron-Memorial 5 — Tallie Woodson’s two-run home run in the top of the fifth lifted the Patriots by the Spartans in five innings.

Sabrina Chavez was 2-for-3 with a double for Cimarron, which scored five runs in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead.

Birmingham (Calif.) 11, Eldorado 3 — Lesley Segura went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles as the Patriots downed the Sundevils in five innings.

Deja Wargo was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored for Eldorado.

Taft (Calif.) 8, Eldorado 2 — The Toreadors scored eight runs in the first three innings on their way to a five-inning win over the Sundevils.

Brook Ortiz was 2-for-2 with two doubles for Eldorado.

Liberty 5, Poly (Calif.) 3 — Jen Story drove in three runs, and the Patriots exploded for four runs in the third inning before holding off the Parrots in six innings.

Madison (Calif.) 10, Liberty 2 — The Warhawks hit four home runs in their win over the Patriots.

Adara Leyba drove in both of Liberty’s runs.

Madison (Calif.) 5, Chaparral 2 — Tichina Savoy homered and drove in both Cowboy runs in their loss to the Warhawks.

Chaparral jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but Madison scored runs in each of the next three innings.

Poly (Calif.) 9, Chaparral 3 — The Parrots scored six runs in the first two innings and cruised to the win over the Cowboys.

Nicole Lesniak homered for Chaparral.

Tech 21, Clark 1 — Austyn Dziewit had two doubles, and the Roadrunners scored 19 runs in the first two innings en route to a four-inning win over the Chargers.

Independence (Calif.) 14, Tech 0 — The Falcons scored four runs in the opening inning and never looked back.

The Roadrunners managed only two hits in the four-inning contest.

Lincoln (Calif.) 13, Clark 0 — Lincoln used a seven-run fourth inning on its way to a four-inning win over the Chargers.

Alex Hathy had Clark’s lone hit.