By Don Ketchum

The warm Arizona sun can take its toll on a catcher. Playing as quickly and efficiently as possible is of utmost importance. Extra innings? Avoid at all costs.

With her team’s first-round Division I softball tournament game seemingly headed for infinity on Saturday (April 28), Mesa Mountain View catcher Sid Ryan took matters into her own hands.

She slugged a home run to lead off the seventh to break a scoreless tie and the Toros held off host Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor for a 1-0 victory.

Mountain View (23-10), the No. 18 seed, advances to the second round on Tuesday (May 1) for a road game against a familiar foe – neighboring school Mesa Red Mountain – the No. 2 seed and winner of the Class 5A Division I championship last season. First pitch is 4 p.m.

Mountain View faced Red Mountain three times, with Red Mountain winning twice.

“I’m not really into the rivalry thing all that much. It will just be two good teams going at it,’’ said Mountain View coach Joe Goodman.

The coach expected a tough game against No. 15 seed Sandra Day O’Connor (20-11), and that’s what he got.

His pitcher, Junior Val Kaff, matched Sandra Day O’Connor senior Nicole Aviles pitch for pitch.

Kaff gave up just three hits in seven innings. Two were by Jessica Rodriguez and the third was a double by Aviles. It was the fifth shutout by Mountain View in its last six games.

Aviles, meanwhile, didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings until a leadoff single by Amy Tarnowski in the fifth. Aviles achieved a rarity – four strikeouts in the first inning – one of the hitters reached first on a passed ball.

Ryan, a sophomore, struck out in the first inning and hit a long fly to center field in the fourth. In the seventh, she connected on a 1-0 pitch and there was little doubt that it was leaving the park. The homer was her 10^th of the season.

“It was a great game all the way through,’’ Goodman said. “I knew she (Ryan) was due. She didn’t miss on that one. When she doesn’t miss, you see what happens.’’

Of Kaff’s pitching effort, he said, “Val has pitched well all season. She seems to bring out her best when the game is the closest.’’

The Toros are ready for another tough battle with Red Mountain.

“In the playoffs, anything can happen,’’ Goodman said.