The Red Mountain softball team, described by coach Rich Hamilton as the team  that "leads the western United States in runners left on base"  sports a 17-6 record heading in to April. None of the losses are against 5A-I competition (10-0), competition it will face come state tournament time next month when it goes about the business of defending its title.

Red Mountain lost  three games in its season-opening tournament, the Lion Country Classic. None of those losses were to 5A-I teams. One was to 5A-II Perry; the other two to Buchanan HIgh (Clovis), Calif .

The Mountain Lions didn't lose again until the Desert Mountain Invitational 10 days ago where they lost two more times -- both to 4A-I power Canyon del Oro., Still no defeats at the hands of 5A-I foes.

Resuming power-point games for the rest of the season last week, Red Mountain posted a 2-1 mark with the loss coming against a 5A-II opponent, Ironwood Ridge.

Not many 5A-I teams have played Red Mountain close. That may change this week with region foes Xavier and Hamilton taking on the Lions late in the week. The six losses really aren't a big deal - the ones to Canyon del Oro may be an exception. It just depends  if the Lions learned from the tough losses to CDO when 5-1 leads late vanished and weren't regained.