Straily puts Foothill within win of title

On Thursday, the Falcons moved within a game of winning their first regional title.

Senior Shantel Straily pitched a three-hitter to lead Foothill to a 1-0 victory over Las Vegas in the Sunrise Regionals at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park. The win lifted the Falcons into today’s 5 p.m. title game against the winner of an early semifinal between Coronado and Las Vegas.

“Early in the season, we lost a lot of close games because of errors,” said Mayes, whose squad lost to the Wildcats 2-1 in the regular season. “But I knew we had the ability.

“During spring break, we finally started putting everything together.”

Straily had everything together Thursday. Besides striking out seven and earning a shutout, she delivered the game’s pivotal hit, an RBI ground-rule double in the sixth inning.

“I don’t know if anybody else could have done it,” Mayes said. “Shantel’s a gamer. She knows how to block out the little things and come right back when she gets in trouble.”

The victory kept the Falcons (21-14) in the tourney’s winners bracket, meaning they will need one win in the championship round to claim the title. Las Vegas (18-6) or Coronado (25-6) will need to beat Foothill twice to win it.

• Coronado 10, Eldorado 0 — Tristina Shibata pitched a six-inning two-hitter, striking out nine, to put the Cougars into today’s 3 p.m. semifinal.

Berlynn Bagley went 2-for-4, including a grand slam in the fourth inning. Sarah Detwiler went 2-for-4 with a double for Coronado.

• Coronado 9, Green Valley 1 — Bagley went 4-for-4 with a double in the Cougars’ early game.

Detwiler went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs to help Coronado, which took control with three runs in the first inning. Teammate Bianca Query went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs.

Alicia Firelein went 3-for-3 for the Gators, who failed to capitalize on their 12 hits.

• Eldorado 7, Valley 3 — The Sundevils erupted for four runs in the seventh inning of their early game.

Kari Hansen broke open things for Eldorado in the seventh with a three-run double. Teammates Marian Freiburger went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Carina Gutierrez 2-for-4.

Britney Burnett went 2-for-4 for the Vikings, who were held to four hits.

SUNSET REGIONAL

• Shadow Ridge 5, Sierra Vista 4 — Shadow Ridge strung together five singles to score three runs in the third inning, and pitcher Mandy Harmon shut down Sierra Vista after allowing four first-inning runs.

Shadow Ridge moved into the championship round at 5 p.m. today. The Mustangs will face the winner of today’s 3 p.m. game between Sierra Vista and Centennial. Should Shadow Ridge lose that game, a second game would be played at 7 p.m.

Harmon retired 20 of the last 23 batters and 10 straight to finish the game.

“It was all about being able to play my game,” said Harmon, who had nine strikeouts and allowed five hits. “But I have to give thanks to my teammates. I owe it to them.”

Vanessa Simmons went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs, and Shadow Ridge teammate Rayna Bradshaw was 2-for-3 with two runs.

“This was an amazing group of girls, and I’m blessed to be a part of it all,” Shadow Ridge coach Cythia Winter said.

• Centennial 10, Cimarron-Memorial 0 — Johnna Brown hit a three-run home run to help keep the No. 1 seed from the Northwest Division alive.

Up 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning, the Bulldogs’ Jennifer Watkins came in to pitch with bases loaded and no outs and struck out three consecutive batters.

Centennial scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth and ended it on Brown’s homer.

“Watkins striking out the side for us was big,” Centennial coach Mike Livreri. “Our pitching really stepped up in both games.”

Brown finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs.

• Cimarron-Memorial 3, Bonanza 2 — Liddell pitched a no-hitter, and the Spartans scored twice in the top of the seventh to defeat the Bengals.

Vannessa Gonzalez and Chelsea Williams both singled and scored in the top of the seventh inning to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead.

The Spartans committed three errors in the fifth inning that allowed Jessica Delp and Alexandra Teed to score, giving the Bengals a 2-1 lead.

Liddell finished with four strikeouts, and Megan Van Horn was 2-for-3 for the Spartans.

• Centennial 10, Durango 3 — Bre Egge hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the fifth inning, and Centennial added six runs in the sixth as the Bulldogs eliminated the Trailblazers.

Juelaine Noa was 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs and Katie Lee went 3-for-4 with two runs for Centennial.

CLASS 3A

• Pahrump Valley 10, Moapa Valley 0 — At Pahrump Valley, Ashleah Barney pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts to lead the Trojans over the Pirates in the Class 3A Southern League Tournament.