SUNSET REGION: McCormick pitches Panthers into title game

Melissa McCormick has pitched most of Palo Verde’s softball games for the past four seasons.

She’d be hard pressed to remember a better outing than the one she authored Thursday in the Sunset Region winners’ bracket final at Bishop Gorman.

McCormick retired the first 14 batters she faced and finished with a three-hit shutout to lead the defending region champion Panthers (28-8) back to the title game with a 4-0 win over rival Centennial.

The Bulldogs, who had scored 27 runs in their previous two games, had only four base runners against McCormick, who struck out eight, including Centennial’s first four hitters.

“Every single game I play like it’s my last one,” McCormick said. “It makes me a little nervous, but it makes me work that much harder.”

McCormick encountered trouble only once Thursday.

With Palo Verde holding a 1-0 lead, Centennial’s Mikayla Djordjevic led off the top of the sixth with a double to left-center field.

After a pop out on a bunt attempt, Mia Acuna singled to shallow left to put runners at the corners.
McCormick escaped the jam with her eighth strikeout and a foul out, and the Panthers promptly scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away.

“My speed was working really well,” McCormick said. “My arm was getting a little sore during the season, but it seems like it’s all coming together now.”

Palo Verde gave McCormick the only run she needed in the first.

Brooke Stover singled with one out, and Breanna Beatty followed with a grounder up the middle that was misplayed, putting runners at second and third for McCormick, who was intentionally walked.

Freshman Melissa Lacro drilled a sharp single to center to plate courtesy runner Ryan Roberto.

“My freshmen are just fearless,” Palo Verde coach Kelly Glass said. “You never see fear in their eyes, ever. They’ve impressed me all year.”

The Panthers added the three runs in the sixth on a misplayed sacrifice bunt, an RBI double from Rachael Turner and a run-scoring groundout by Cheryl Iddings.

Palo Verde will face either Centennial (22-11) or Durango (24-11) in the region final Saturday at 9 a.m. at Gorman. The Panthers’ opponent must beat Palo Verde twice to win the title.

“We played really, really good softball today,” Glass said. “But we still have to come fired up ready to play, like we have everything to lose, because we do.”

Durango and Centennial meet in the losers’ bracket final at 4 p.m. Friday at Gorman.

Durango 11, Shadow Ridge 8 — At Faith Lutheran, Mindy Larson’s two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth tied the game, and Katie Moore followed with a single to plate Larson with the eventual winning run as the Trailblazers rallied from a 6-0 second-inning deficit to eliminate the Mustangs (15-10).

Durango trailed 8-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, but closed to within 8-6 on Samantha Juarez’s two-run double.

Juarez added a two-run homer in the Trailblazers’ five-run sixth and finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Moore was 4-for-4 and scored three runs.

Krislyn Campos, Jasmine Bouie, Mary Jordan, Casey Velarde and Taylor Velarde each went 2-for-4 for Shadow Ridge.

Durango 1, Cimarron-Memorial 0 — At Faith Lutheran, Marley Sandoval’s ground out brought home Juarez with the lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Trailblazers eliminated the Spartans (21-13).

Juarez, who went 2-for-3, singled to start the sixth and went to third on Kendal Short’s sacrifice bunt.

Carli Stafford was 2-for-2, and Carrie Sheehan went 2-for-4 for Cimarron.

Shadow Ridge 13, Desert Oasis 10 — At Faith Lutheran, the Mustangs took a 13-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh and held on for dear life to eliminate the Diamondbacks (17-18).

Campos went 3-for-4, and Karla Serrano was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run for Shadow Ridge.

Natasha Chapman, Lenzi Cram and Holly O’Hara each had two hits for Desert Oasis, which got a three-run double from Dayana Gage.