Marina Garcia gave Desert View a 5-4 lead on her 3-run shot. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

 

The first day of the Tucson Softball Invitational got off with a bang Wednesday night at Cherry Field: Rio Rico came back from an early deficit to defeat Catalina Foothills 6-3 despite 12 strikeouts from Nic Conway and a home run from Elizabeth Allen; Salpointe scored late to outlast Marana 2-0; Sunnyside beat Mountain View Marana 7-0 and Desert View beat Tucson 6-5 in a game that featured four homers.

Pool play continues with 10 games slated for Thursday, Mar. 15 with 10 more on Friday.  The 12 teams will be seeded into two brackets on Saturday with the championship game scheduled for 5 p.m.

The Badgers got off to a fast start with Alyssa Trejo reaching on a leadoff double in the bottom of the first and then Carlie Scupin reached on a hit-by-pitch one out later. Keli Samorano followed with a towering 3-run shot to give her team the early margin.

Andrea Escarcega cut into the lead with a solo shot in the top of the second but Scupin got the run back in the bottom of the third on a walk, two stolen bases and a passed ball. Angel Sallas and Escarcega hit back-to-back singles in the top of the fourth and Mireya Ramirez sacrificed in Sallas to make the score 4-2 Tucson.

The Jaguars took their first lead of the game in the top of the fifth after Reanna Martinez reached on a double, Gaby Soza beat out an infield hit, and Marina Garcia followed with a 3-run shot of her own to make it 5-4 Desert View.

Scupin came up to bat with one out in the bottom of the fifth and the University of Arizona commit tied things up with a line drive home run, but Martinez helped put her team up for good in the top seventh after she led off with a single and Soza bunted her over to second where Garcia doubled her in to make it 6-5.

Scupin started things off with a single in the bottom half of the inning but the Badgers were unable to string together an attack.

Martinez went the distance for Desert View and she picked up the win with 11 strikeouts and Aria Rodriguez took the loss for the Badgers. Escarcega went 3-for-3 with a home run and a double, Martinez helped herself out by going 2-4 with a double, Soza finished 2-3 with a sacrifice and Garcia went 2-4 with a home run, double and four RBI.

Scupin went 2-2 with a home run to lead Tucson, Trejo went 2-3 with a double, Samorano had her 3-run homer and Iliana Mendoza went 2-3.

Tucson is now 8-5 on the year and Desert View is 5-4.

 

POOL PLAY

 

Wednesday, March 14

Rio Rico 6, Catalina Foothills 3

Salpointe 2, Marana 0

Sunnyside 7, Mountain View 0

Desert View 6, Tucson 5

 

Thursday, March 15

Sunnyside vs. Empire, 9 a.m.

Rio Rico vs. Marana 9 a.m.

Marana vs. Buena, 11 a.m.

Sabino vs. Catalina Foothills, 11 a.m.

Tucson vs. Empire, 1 p.m.

Vista Grande vs. Sunnyside, 1 p.m.

Mountain View vs. Sabino, 3 p.m.

Salpointe vs. Buena, 3 p.m.

Vista Grande vs. Mountain View, 5 p.m.

Desert View vs. Salpointe, 5 p.m.

 

Friday, March 16

Empire vs. Desert View, 9 a.m.

Rio Rico vs. Salpointe, 9 a.m.

Desert View vs. Rio Rico, 11 a.m.

Buena vs. Sunnyside, 11 a.m.

Mountain View vs. Empire, 1 p.m.

Sabino vs. Tucson, 1 p.m.

Catalina Foothills vs. Buena, 3 p.m.

Tucson vs. Vista Grande, 3 p.m.

Vista Grande vs. Catalina Foothills, 5 p.m.

Marana vs. Sabino. 5 p.m.

 

Saturday, March 17

Bracket Play: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.