Alyssa Esquivel is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Ridge High School for AZPreps365.com.

One, two, three … hit them back. 

A chant that could be heard echoing throughout the entire bleachers, the Desert Ridge softball team hit back hard as the team dominated in their 9-4 victory over Mountain Pointe.

After coming off another strong performance against the Skyline Coyotes, the girls were able to maintain that same dominant energy in tonight's home victory as the Jaguars went up 8-3 in just the second inning. 

“We executed hitting the ball and getting runners in position. Sacrificing, driving behind the runners, and scoring runs as well,” said head coach Steve Appel.

Although Mountain Pointe had scored back-to-back runs at the top of the second, the girls were able to maintain their focus and went on to score six runs including an impressive home run by junior baseman Brooke Appel. One of many plays that helped set the momentum for the Jaguars.

“We were getting on a roll and it really helped keep up going,” said Brooke. 

The strong defensive play of the Jaguars continued to be a strength for the team, who coming in had allowed a total of two runs in their previous two victories. Execution was certainly at its finest as Desert Ridge did not allow Mountain Pointe to get comfortable at any point of the game. 

However, one of the most impressive parts of tonight’s victory was the patience and composure of sophomore pitcher Cierra Smith. Throughout the game, Smith found herself in similar situations where the bases were loaded and she needed to get one final out in order to close the inning. With the encouragement of her teammates, she was able to do exactly that and prevent Mountain Pointe from scoring multiple runs.

“I kind of just had to take a deep breath, relax for a minute, and just pause. I tried not to rush, made sure to take my time, and focus on the matter of the moment and nothing else,” said Smith.

The team has certainly been on a roll especially after snapping a three-game losing streak and going on to win their next three. Something that Steve attributes to the hard work and effort seen by the girls. 

“The team has definitely tightened up some things, playing better defense, and hitting the ball well. Got a tough game tomorrow night against Highland, but I am happy with the way we are going,” said Steve. 

The Jaguars (6-3) will travel to play the Highland Hawks (6-2) on March 31, where the team will continue to make it an emphasis to hit hard and maintain their impressive winning streak.