By Don Ketchum

Time is of the essence. There is not much of it left in the regular season for softball teams to improve their seeding for the state tournament. They need momentum.

After a tough 3-2 loss at Queen Creek on Monday (April 16), Scottsdale Saguaro got some of its momentum back on Tuesday (April 17) with an 8-3 victory over Fountain Hills on the road.

Saguaro entered this week as the No. 8 team in Division II power points. Fountain Hills was 14^th in Division III.

“At the beginning of this week, I told the girls that we had five games left (in the regular season), that we needed to win three of those. We now have three left,’’ said Saguaro coach Todd Sweeda.

The Sabercats (16-12) face Phoenix Arcadia on Thursday (April 19), Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep on Friday (April 20) and Fountain Hills again next Tuesday (April 24).

Sweeda said his team played well against Queen Creek, “but we just didn’t get any timely hits.’’

Saguaro got a few of those against Fountain Hills (14-11).

The most notable was a solo home run by shortstop Dana Morris with one out in the third inning that allowed Saguaro to pull even at 1-1. Macall Maryhew’s single drove in a second run in the inning for a 2-1 lead.

Fountain Hills tied it at 2-2 with a run in the third, but did not score again until the seventh.

Saguaro scored two in the fourth and three more in the fifth to build a comfortable lead.

The Sabercats got a solid pitching effort from senior Dana Dal Soglio, who scattered nine hits.

Dal Soglio has taken over as the team’s No. 1 pitcher after the former No. 1, Annie Davis, parted ways with the team a few weeks ago, Sweeda said.

“Dana has done a great job for us. She has given us four or five big wins that we wouldn’t otherwise have had,’’ Sweeda said. “She has pitched well and she has helped us with her leadership skills. She’s always smiling, always positive. She comes in and does her job.’’

Another key element for the Sabercats has been the play of senior Elise Oldham. She will play shortstop in college, but has played catcher for Saguaro for most of the season because the team needed a strong presence behind the plate.

“We think she is one of the best players in the state,’’ Sweeda said.