JAMBOREE: Panthers run out of gas in tourney final
Fully rested, Palo Verde’s softball team would have stood a puncher’s chance against El Camino Real (Calif.).
The Panthers, however, were anything but fully rested.
In their fourth game of the day, the Panthers struck the first blow before absorbing a whole bunch of haymakers and losing to the Conquistadors 15-4 in five innings Saturday in the championship of the Spring Jamboree at Majestic Park.
“Where they are is where we want to be,” Palo Verde assistant coach Brian Bendele said of El Camino Real. “We want to hit the ball just like they do.”
Head coach Kelly Glass missed Saturday’s games because of a death in her family.
In seven tournament games, El Camino Real (14-5) scored 123 runs, including a 14-2 rout of Bonanza in the semifinals. The Conquistadors boast a lineup most high school coaches only dream about, a potent mix of speed, strength and discipline.
Despite spotting Palo Verde a 3-0 lead on a home run by Melissa McCormick in the first half-inning, El Camino Real was unruffled.
Through two innings the Conquistadors answered with 15 runs, spraying 15 hits to all fields and running the bases well.
Leadoff hitter Whitney West and No. 3 hitter Dani Gilmore each went 3-for-3 in the first two innings. Gilmore’s hits were all doubles.
The Panthers, running on fumes after an intense 1-0 win over Centennial in the semifinals, had nothing left in the tank.
Palo Verde began its day with a 9-0 victory over Faith Lutheran, then beat Winslow (Ariz.) 4-2 before nipping Centennial.
Erika Stratton, who homered for the only run against Centennial, added a solo blast for Palo Verde in the fifth inning against El Camino Real.
After not qualifying for the Sunset Region playoffs last season, the Panthers are 12-4 overall and 2-0 in the Northwest League.
“We definitely want to go to regionals and give it a shot at state,” Bendele said. “Any boost you can get throughout the year is crucial. This tournament was good for us.”
Palo Verde 1, Centennial 0 — McCormick outdueled Bulldogs pitcher Jessica Cooper, and Stratton’s fourth-inning homer provided the margin of victory.
McCormick tossed a four-hitter and pitched to just two more than the minimum. She struck out six.
Cooper, who started the season on the junior varsity team, allowed two hits and fanned eight.
Taylor Huntly was 2-for-2 with a double for Centennial.
Palo Verde 4, Winslow (Ariz.) 2 — McCormick fired a three-hitter, holding Winslow off the board until the seventh inning, and the Panthers used a four-run third to beat the Bulldogs.
Stratton was 1-for-3 with a double and a run, and Lauryn Stover went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run for Palo Verde.
Palo Verde 9, Faith Lutheran 0 — Tori Fenton spun a three-hit shutout in the Panthers’ win over the Crusaders.
Rachel Mez was 2-for-2 with two runs for Palo Verde. McCormick was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, and Stratton went 1-for-4 with three RBIs.
El Camino Real (Calif.) 14, Bonanza 2 — Gilmore hit a pair of three-run homers for the Conquistadors, who scored 10 runs in the first inning.
Gilmore smacked home runs in the first and fifth innings. El Camino Real sent 14 batters to the plate in the first and never looked back.
Eldorado 2, Tech 0 — In the consolation final, the Sundevils scored all of their runs in the first inning, and pitcher Ashley Jarzombek did the rest.
Eldorado put together a triple from Cheyenne Schindler and a pair of Tech errors for a 2-0 lead. Jarzombek took control from there, limiting Tech to two hits and striking out six.
Jarzombek threw only 85 pitches in the complete-game win.
Amanda Roark was the tough-luck loser for Tech, allowing four hits and striking out 14.
Tech 3, Faith Lutheran 1 — In a consolation semifinal, Roark tossed a one-hitter and fanned nine for the Roadrunners.
Nicole Lesniak and Lauren Lesinak each had a double for Tech.
Kailey McEvilly had the lone hit for the Crusaders.
Eldorado 3, Maranatha (Calif.) 2 — In the other consolation semi, Megan Jaramillo scored the winning run on a passed ball to send the Sundevils to the final.
Schindler made a leaping catch of a line drive to end a Maranatha threat with runners at second and third. Jarzombek scattered six hits to get the win for Eldorado.
Bonanza 9, San Fernando (Calif.) 6 — Michelle Miller went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double as the Bengals scored four runs in both the second and third innings and held off San Fernando.
Jessica Delp was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Courtney Spencer was 2-for-4 with a double for Bonanza.
Maranatha (Calif.) 5, Canyon Springs 1 — The Pioneers committed six errors in their loss to the Minutemen.
Marisa Bryant allowed just one earned run for Canyon Springs. Michiko Carter scored the lone Pioneers run.
Centennial 7, Pahrump Valley 2 — Huntly and Cooper combined on a no-hitter as the Bulldogs downed the Trojans.
Huntly went five innings and struck out six before Cooper finished the gem.
Huntly was 3-for-4, and Mikayla Djordjevic added two hits for Centennial.
Pahrump Valley 10, Tech 3 — Tranyce Rankin tossed a three-hitter as the Trojans stopped the Roadrunners.
Pahrump scored six runs in the third inning and cruised to the win.
Eldorado 7, Rancho 4 — The Sundevils used a four-run seventh inning to down the Rams.
Jaramillo’s double in the seventh drove in the decisive run.
Faith Lutheran 17, Bishop Gorman 2 — Maya Barnes went 3-for-4 with five RBIs for the Crusaders, who scored eight runs in the third inning and seven more in the fourth to pull away from the Gaels.
Ashley Green was 2-for-3 with two runs for Faith Lutheran.
Winslow (Ariz.) 10, Bishop Gorman 0 — The Gaels managed just two singles in a loss to the Bulldogs.
