5A SOFTBALL ROUNDUP
May 6, 2017 by Andy Morales, AZPreps365
With six teams remaining in the 5A state playoffs, this is what we know about each team and the possible matchups:
Elimination Game at Rose Mofford
No. 4 Verrado vs. No. 5 Chaparral
Verrado (26-5-1) won the Desert West Region with a perfect 10-0 record. The Vipers will be facing No. 4 Chaparral (24-10) for a shot at Cienega in the semifinal round. The Firebirds won the Northeast Valley Region with a 7-1 record.
This will be the third meeting between Verrado and Chaparral this year with Chaparral winning 12-8 in March and 11-9 in the second round of the 5A Playoffs.
The Vipers are led by junior Kasey Jones, batting .361 with 27 RBI, two doubles and six home runs. Junior Hailey Raio is batting .482 with 32 RBI, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs and sophomore Bianca Worthy is batting .548 with 27 RBI, seven doubles, nine triples and two home runs. Junior Reina Kelley is 13-1 from the circle with 177 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched.
The Firebirds are led by junior Maggie Thurston, batting .451 with 40 RBI, 10 doubles, two triples and three home runs. Sophomore Haley Boxwell is batting .410 with 35 RBI, 10 doubles, five triples and four home runs and senior Maddison Cannatelli is batting .326 with 27 RBI, six doubles and two home runs. Thurston is 13-7 from the circle, Cannatelli is 5-0 and sophomore Hannah Ross is 4-1.
No. 1 Cienega (26-7)
The Bobcats won the Southern Region with a 7-1 record. Senior Tori Brown is batting .442 with 48 RBI, nine doubles, four triples and 10 home runs. Junior Abby Doughty is batting .424 with 31 RBI, seven doubles, six triples and four home runs and junior Kaitlyn Anderson is batting .440 with 30 RBI, 16 doubles, two triples and two home runs. Senior Taylor Lambert has 34 stolen bases. Freshman Mariah Lopez is 14-3 and sophomore Lia Dominguez is 7-2.
Elimination Game at Rose Mofford
No. 10 Queen Creek vs. No. 2 Shadow Ridge
Queen Creek (21-13) came in second in the San Tan Region with a 4-4 record. The Bulldogs will be going up against Shadow Ridge (27-6) in the elimination bracket. The Stallions won the Northwest Region with a perfect 8-0 record. Shadow Ridge beat Queen Creek 4-3 in eight innings in the second round of the state tournament. The winner plays Sahauro.
The Bulldogs are led by senior Kierstin Denning. Denning is batting .475 with 46 RBI, 18 doubles, a triple and four home runs. Senior Brittaney Benavidez is batting .389 with eight doubles, five triples and five home runs and junior Julia Heitz is batting .381 with 31 RBI, 12 doubles, four triples and three home runs. Sophomore Jaylei Brechler has 28 stolen bases. Heitz is 15-7 on the year.
The Stallions are led by freshman Sophia Carroll, batting .395 with 47 RBI, seven doubles and 11 home runs. Freshman Aris Carroll is batting .452 with 39 RBI, seven doubles, two triples and six home runs and senior Cassidy Young is batting .401 with 26 RBI, 10 doubles and three home runs. Senior Devynn Marshal and sophomore Natalie Moody see most of the pitching action.
No. 3 Sahuaro (26-9)
The Cougars are the second team out of the Southern Region with a 6-2 record. Junior Jasmin Lopez is batting .449 with 41 RBI, 12 doubles, three triples and five home runs. Junior Ashley Bradford is batting .319 with 28 RBI, six doubles, four triples and three home runs and junior Lauren Wedman is batting .455 with 31 RBI, 12 doubles and two home runs. Senior Lexy Coons is 17-3 on the year with 193 strikeouts in only 148 innings of work.