Basha pitcher Kailey Regester was hit hard a couple times on Wednesday.

Hit hard as in home runs by a couple players from the opposition, Domi Shone and Ayssa Vargas of Mesquite.

Those blows were nothing like she the thumping she took during a team practice before the 2011 regular season began.

"We were doing a relay drill and she was playing third," Basha coach Scott Hoffmeyer said. "I was hitting and lined one during the drill. She didn't see it. It hit her flush in the face."

The result for Regester, Basha's top pitcher and one of the Bears many solid hitters, was five facial fractures below her left eye. The mishap cost her to date what is half the Bears' season.

"It was a one in a million chance I get hit," Regester recalled after Basha reeled off its sixth straight win Wednesday in an 8-6 triumph over Mesquite. "I've been hit pitching before, but not like that. I had to sit out five weeks. At three weeks I thought they were going to let me play, but when it came to three weeks they said two more. The thing I was maddest about was having to sit out so long."

Hoffmeyer hated to see Regester sidelined knowing how much the Bears needed her in the circle and feeling somewhat responsible for the event. He also feared how she'd react when she did come back. He knows now that fear was ill-founded.

"She's come back strong," Hoffmeyer said. "She's tough. Has no fear. There has been no negative effect."

Regester, a junior in her third varsity season, competed in her 12th game Wednesday (all since March 23)  and settled down after a shaky start in her latest appearance to hurl the Bears to an 8-6 extra-inning win over Mesquite. Regester gave up all six runs (five earned) in the first three innings. She blanked Mesquite on three hits over the last five innings. At the plate her third hit of the game in the eighth inning kept a rally alive that teammate Theresa Asta capitalized on with a game-winning, two-run single.

"She's our horse," Hoffmeyer said. " She keeps coming up big. She made some adjustments, and was great at  the end."

Regester, pitching coach Rocky Parra and Regester's older sister, Lauren (the Bears catcher), chatted after the third inning after Mesquite grabbed a 6-3 lead.

"We changed up the pitch selection and it worked pretty well," Kailey Regester said. "I'm just glad to be out there playing again."

Regester is doing more than playing. She's pitched the Bears to wins over Highland, Willow Canyon, Dobson, Corona and Mesquite to improve her record to 8-2. More importantly the Bears are 4-1 in region play,  just a half-game behind region leader Gilbert. Basha's lone region loss was to Gilbert in early March.

Count on Kailey Regester getting the start at Gilbert in the rematch on April 12. She can hardly wait, no matter the opponent.