Friday afternoon's softball game between top-7 6A teams #7 Sandra Day O'Connor and #3 Pinnacle, won by SDO, 9-7, wasn't a see-saw battle. There weren't a couple runs here and a couple answered back there throughout the contest.

No the teams traded seven-run innings - SDO scoring its bunch in the third and Pinnacle making it close with its outburst in the sixth. A game that seemed possibly headed for a run-rule outcome, now had the spector of extra innings.

Except, SDO's Rylee Holtorf wasn't keen on playing beyond regulation. Holtorf homered to begin the seventh, powering the Eagles to victory and first-place alone in the Desert Valley Region with one region game left. SDO improved to 10-3 overall, 7-2 region and Pinnacle fell to 11-4, 6-3. SDO swept the region games with Pinnacle, but will likely remain behind the Pioneers in the power rankings.

Holtorf, a senior and four-year starter, didn't let her teammates stew about losing their 7-0 lead. She was down 1-2 in the count to Pinnacle reliever Taylor Thompson, who was spot on to that point with four scoreless innings of work. Holtorf got the count to 3-2, with Ball 3 a low changeup. Thompson came back with another changeup, but this one was center cut and Holtorf launched it well over the left-field fence. The homer was the sixth of the year for Holtorf and No. 32 in her career. SDO tacked on an extra run in the inning thanks to an error and RBI single by winning pitcher Riley Lauffer.

Holtorf entered the game as SDO's leading hitter with a .567 average. Most of the season she's batted cleanup. But not lately.

"I moved her up to leadoff the last few games to get her more plate appearances," SDO coach Melissa Hobson said. "I've used her in that spot before. She had a great at-bat."

Back to Thompson's effort for Pinnacle. The senior kept the Pioneers in the game putting out the fire in the third. Thompson entered with six runs already in and no outs. She got three consecutive outs and the seventh run (not her responsibility) scored on the first out of the third. Before Holtorf's tie-breaking clout, Thompson pitched to the minimum 12 batters, allowing no hits and one walk. That runner was thrown out stealing.

Pinnacle threatened to keep the game going in its final at-bat. Thompson led off with a double. With one out Chloe Strachan singled to center. Pinch-runner Rebecca Merkes hesitated to advance initially on the looping single and then sped for third. She was thrown out on a close play by center fielder Anjolina Gutierrez. Still with the tying run on base, Lauffer fanned Madi Link, who had two singles and walk previously, to end the game.

SDO's seven-run third consisted of two hits, three walks and two errors. Catcher Mazzy Skinner delivered the key hit in the inning - a bases-loaded triple. Also plating runs were Emma Villaescusa (RBI single), Riley Valentine (bases-loaded walk), Lauffer (grounder) and Christina Meneses (ground out).

Pinnacle sent 11 batters to the plate in its seven-run inning. The Pioneers used four hits, a walk and and error for its scoring. RBI went to Strachan and Faith Kroening via fielder's choices, Link (bases-loaded walk) and Ilana Weiss (two-run single). Pinnacle outhit SDO, 11-5. 

SDO can clinch the region title outright with a win in its final region game at home Monday against Mountain Ridge. Pinnacle concludes region play Monday at Boulder Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SDO (9-3) vs. Pinnacle (11-3)