Madison Sorenson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Campo Verde High School for AZPreps365.com.

GILBERT — With six underclassmen in the starting lineup, Campo Verde’s young talent led the way to a 6-5 victory against Notre Dame Preparatory at home Tuesday night.

After falling to the Saints in two tough losses last season 11-9 and 5-2, the Coyotes sought redemption in the home and region opener.

Freshman Molly Davis got the start in the circle for Campo Verde, a decision that paid off as she delivered eight strikeouts on the night.

“She’s a freshman. Every single thing she does impresses me,” Campo Verde’s head coach Joseph Delsante said.

Davis faced a lot of pressure entering this game, but her coach and teammates’ trust helped her settle in.

“Knowing that he and the team have confidence in me just helps,” Davis said.

Both pitchers held their own early on as runners were left stranded on the bases until Campo Verde’s underclassmen struck first in the bottom of the third inning.

Sophomore captain Ava Forsythe blasted a first-pitch home run over the left field wall to give Campo Verde a 1-0 lead. The Coyotes’ offense did not stop there as it quickly jumped on this momentum.

After a walk and a single by freshman Maddy Baird, sophomore Chloe Singer hit a line drive single to right field, scoring both runners.

A sacrifice bunt by freshman Mia Hedglin and an RBI groundout by Davis extended the lead to 4-0.

Notre Dame Prep did not stay silent for long. Senior Kendall Gillham immediately answered in the top of the fourth with her own home run over the left-field wall.

Offense on both sides went cold after that, as both pitchers battled it out in the circle.

In moments where the Coyotes did find themselves on base, they struggled to capitalize on stolen bases, as they were caught stealing four times throughout the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Coyotes got their bats going again and ended up adding two insurance runs to put them up 6-1.

Everything seemed to be going in the Coyotes' favor as they entered the seventh up five with Davis quickly striking out the first batter.

The top of the lineup for the Saints had other plans. A single, an error and a double had Notre Dame Prep clawing its way back into the game.

Down 6-3 with a runner on, Gillham drove her second home run of the night over the center-field wall to bring the Saints within one.

With a late comeback brewing, Campo Verde brought in senior pitcher Addyson Armstrong to close the game. She delivered with a quick strikeout and popup to put an end to Notre Dame Prep’s rally.

“It’s not over until it’s over,” Campo Verde’s catcher Singer said in regards to the late comeback.

The young group kept its composure under pressure and that will be important as the season continues. The competition only gets harder from here, Delsante said.

“We’ve gotten better and better as the season’s gone on, and it’s only the seventh game,” Delsante said. “We keep improving game after game after game, and that’s always what the goal is.”