No. 3 Sahuaro 6, No. 19 Buena 3

 

Lexy Coons collected 10 strikeouts, and shut down 20 of the last 21 batters she faced, but the Sahuaro ace was still in danger of losing to Buena in the second round of the Division II playoffs. The Colts scored three unearned runs in the top of the first and it looked like Buena was going to upset Sahuaro but the Cougars came back big to pull off a 6-3 win.

Isabell Enriquez reached on an error to start the game and then Brianna Campas put down a perfect bunt to put two on for Buena. Alicia Habitzreuther attempted a sacrifice bunt but she reached safely on another infield error. Kyrston Garcia followed with an RBI single to put Buena up 1-0 with no outs.

Coons picked up two strikeouts but Eileen Gonzales was able to put the ball in play and another throwing error allowed Campas and Habitzreuther to score. Garcia was thrown out at home attempting to score on the play but the damage was done.

Coons kept the Colt batters off the bases the rest of the way but Sahuaro was also coming up empty against Garcia. Garcia scattered a few hits but the Cougars could not cash in until the bats came alive with one out in the bottom of the fifth.

Lauren Wedman singled to left and Hailey Ward did the same.  Ashley Bradford came up with an infield single to load the bases and then Jasmin Lopez tripled to right field to clear the bases.

Danielle Jamieson reached on an error but Garcia was able to induce a pop fly for the second out. Alyssa Botkin came up with two outs and she delivered on an RBI single to score Lopez to give Sahuaro a 4-3 lead.

Sahuaro added two more in the sixth to secure the win.

Coons (18-2) has 210 strikeouts on the year and she is focused on No. 6 Salpointe in the round of eight.

“I knew I had to step it up after the first inning and I tried to talk up our offense,” Coons explained. “We started out rough and we will face Salpointe again.  We can’t take them lightly.”

No. 6 Salpointe run-ruled No. 22 Cactus Shadows 10-0 in five innings to set up the rematch between Salpointe and Sahuaro.

Sahuaro beat Salpointe 5-2 in March but that was almost a life ago in sporting terms. Coons picked up the win in that game and Salpointe senior Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage took the loss.

Aguilar-Beaucage threw a perfect game against Cactus Shadows.

The Sahuaro/Salpointe game will be played at Cherry Field in Tucson on Thursday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m.  The loser will still be alive under the double-elimination format.

In other action, No. 1 Canyon del Oro will face No. 8 Tucson on the same night and place. CDO had some difficulty beating No. 16 Desert View but Ellessa Bonstrom came up with two RBI in the second and Carli Campbell scored in the third after reaching on a triple.

Campbell would score again in the fifth and the Dorados would hold on for the 4-1 victory.

Mia Trejo struck out 12 batters to lead Tucson past No. 9 Desert Edge 17-7 in five innings to set up the game against CDO.

No. 2 Ironwood Ridge beat No. 18 Sunnyside 11-1 to set up their game against No. 23 Casa Grande on Thursday at the Rose Mofford Complex. Nighthawk junior Annika Baez has eight home runs on the year and University of Arizona commit Isabel Pacho six with a team-leading 48 RBI.

Casa Grande freshman Aleesia Sainz is batting .403 with eight doubles, a triple and five home runs.

The last game schedule for Thursday features No. 4 Cactus vs. No. 5 Arcadia. That game will also be played at Rose Mofford.

Arcadia defeated No. 12 Cienega 5-3 to qualify for the next round. Cienega won the D-II state championship over Salpointe last year. Senior Emily Ingles is 28-2 on the year.

Ingles will be tested by Cactus freshman Alynah Torres and her 18 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs.